Vermont Civil Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Vermont Civil Court Records

Vermont operates a unified court system comprising the Judicial Bureau, Superior Court, and Supreme Court.

Vermont's Judicial Bureau handles cases involving traffic infractions and breaking local rules. On the other hand, the only trial court in the state that hears civil cases is the Vermont Superior Court.

It includes five divisions: the Environmental, Probate, Family, Criminal, and Civil Divisions. The Civil and Criminal Divisions have jury trials, while the Family, Environmental, and Probate Divisions do not.

The only appellate court and the highest court in Vermont is the Supreme Court. It monitors the administrative operations of the state's subordinate courts and upholds legal standards. Additionally, this court admits lawyers to the state's legal profession and supports sanctions against them.

Are Vermont Civil Court Records accessible to the general public? These records are accessible to the public for review and copying following the Vermont Rules for Public Access to Court Records.

What Are Vermont Bankruptcy Records?

Vermont Bankruptcy Records are a collection of papers created and kept by the state's Bankruptcy Court.

In this state, bankruptcy refers to the rules that permit a person or business with more debt than they can repay to discharge their debts. Creating a repayment plan or liquidating the debts are two options for paying off.

The District of Vermont Bankruptcy Courts is the only one with authority over bankruptcy cases in Vermont. This court has the power to approve numerous types of bankruptcy petitions, including the following chapters:

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

This type of bankruptcy involves liquidating a debtor's nonexempt assets to satisfy debts. It also consists of a case trustee who collects and sells the debtor's assets to pay creditors.

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing can stay on a debtor's credit report for ten years.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

With court approval, Vermont Chapter 11 bankruptcy permits debtors to continue business and receive additional loans.

It also lets debtors reorganize their businesses and create a three to five-year repayment plan detailing the payment method, including the monthly payments, total amount, and length of time.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

A debtor in Vermont can use this type of bankruptcy petition to prevent foreclosure and repossession.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is comparable to Chapter 7 because it allows debtors to repay their obligations through a repayment plan. However, unlike Chapter 7 bankruptcy, this type requires the debtor to have disposable income.

In Vermont, this kind of bankruptcy filing can stay on a person's credit report for up to seven years.

In addition to the bankruptcy filings listed above, you might also see a Chapter 12 bankruptcy in Vermont Bankruptcy Records.

How To Find Vermont Bankruptcy Records?

There are various ways to gain access to bankruptcy records in Vermont.

The most reliable way to find Vermont Bankruptcy Records is to visit or send your request to the District of Vermont Bankruptcy Courts in Burlington and Rutland.

Also, it is possible to locate federal bankruptcy files using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system. But you must sign up online to get into the system.

Another way to get to these records is through the Voice Case Information System (VCIS). On request, you must give details about the case, such as the people involved, the tax ID, the case number, or the social security number.

Lastly, if you want to find a closed bankruptcy record, you can contact the National Archives and Records Administrator (NARA). Also, you need to fill out the Bankruptcy Cases Order Form and submit it by mail.

On Vermont Bankruptcy Records, you can expect the following information:

  • A record of creditors
  • A list of debtor's properties and debts
  • Payable taxes
  • Information about all partnerships and leases

What Are Vermont Property Lien Records?

Vermont property liens are judicial instruments that collect debts or payments for services and goods. It permits a person to maintain ownership of another's personal property until the settlement of the amount owed by the other.

There are numerous types of property liens; however, the following are the most common in Vermont Property Lien Records:

Judgment Lien

A Vermont judgment lien is a court ruling to confiscate a debtor's property for not paying the debt. 

When placed in a property, the creditor can only seize the borrower's assets if the debtor fails to repay the loan within 30 days following the judgment.

A judgment lien is valid eight years after issuance, but foreclosure might prolong this duration.

Mortgage Lien

This property lien is a consensual lien where a mortgagor gives a creditor a charge on a property to secure the loan used to build the residence. The creditor can take the property if the person doesn't repay the loan.

However, after ultimately paying off all debt, the court will remove it from the property by submitting the required paperwork, which can include a complete settlement statement from the creditor.

UCC Lien

This kind of property lien is a legal notice that a creditor files to get a security interest in a borrower's assets. This notice shows the creditor's claim on the debtor's collateral.

Vermont creditors file the UCC -1 financing statement to publicize their interest in the debtor's personal property to settle debt with the Secretary of State's Office (SSO).

In Vermont Property Lien Records, you can also find tax and contractors' liens.

How To Check Vermont Property Lien Records?

You can visit the town Clerk's Office in Vermont to review property lien records. This office can provide details regarding any liens on property in this state.

Aside from going to the Clerk's Office, you can also go to the SSO's website, which has a public database of all Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings, such as funding declarations and security agreements.

Similarly, you can also visit the Registry of Deeds which lists any mortgages or other security interests against property in Vermont.

What Are Vermont Civil Driving Violation Records?

Vermont Civil Driving Violation Records are summaries of a driver's driving history, which includes all traffic infractions, penalties, and citations in the state.

Here are some of the most common civil driving violation records in the state:

  • Refusal to yield
  • Speeding
  • Ignoring a stop sign
  • Illegal parking
  • Seatbelt violation
  • Failure to signal

Unlike other traffic violations, these don't lead to jail time or a criminal record. These violations are usually minor infractions that result in a fine, but the infringement's severity determines the fine's amount.

How To Look Up Vermont Civil Driving Violation Records?

There are two ways to look up Vermont Civil Traffic Violation Records: online and in person.

You can access these records online through the Vermont Judicial Bureau Public Portal. You must enter your case number and name on this website to get these records.

To personally view these records, you can visit the Clerk's Court Office that handled your case. The clerk will conduct a case lookup and provide copies of any documentation associated with the traffic infraction. Additionally, you can ask the clerk for a list of all traffic infractions on your record.

Alternatively, you can file a Record Request Form online through the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or make an appointment at DMV's main office in Montpelier. There are applicable fees associated with these requests, and you can view the DMV's price lists online for more information.

What Are Vermont Legal Judgment Records?

Vermont Legal Judgment Records are a compilation of documents summarizing the result of a case determined by a court with proper jurisdiction.

A judgment is a court's order or statement about what happened in a case. After a trial or an investigation of the facts of an issue, judges make these rulings, and court clerks are in charge of putting the record in the court docket.

Title 12 of the Vermont Statutes and Title VII of the Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure explain the state's legal judgment laws. These rules govern the entry and implementation of legal judgments. They also illustrate how to get summary, default, declaratory, and relief from decisions.

How To Look Up Vermont Legal Judgment Records?

You can search for legal judgment records in the state using the Vermont Judiciary Public Portal. This portal provides access to important case information from the Civil Division of the Superior Court.

To use the portal, you must sign up for an account and pay a fee. This fee permits you to conduct five name searches, docket searches, and abstract case searches at no further cost.

You can search on this website by a docket number or a name. You can also use the portal's filters to narrow your search results. These filters include:

  • Name and bar number of the lawyer
  • Kind of case
  • Booking number
  • Case number
  • Court address
  • Case status

Alternatively, you can also use public access terminals in courthouses all over the state to look for these records. You can utilize the Find a Court feature on the state judiciary to locate the correct division.

On request, you must fill out the Request for Access to Court Records form and send it to the proper court. If the court denies your petition, you can submit an appeal.

What Are Vermont Small Claims Records?

Small Claims Records of Vermont Civil Court Records consist of files and material associated with small claims cases.

In Vermont, Small Claims Courts are a component of the Civil Divisions of the Superior Courts. In these courts, people can file lawsuits to get back debts up to $5,000. These courts also hear cases that meet the following conditions:

  • The plaintiff is at least 18 years old
  • Case circumstances are simple
  • The plaintiff seeks simply financial compensation.

To file a small claims case, you must complete a complaint form and send it in one of two ways. You can get a copy of the document from the Clerk's Office or online and fill it out yourself.

You could also use CourtFormPrep, an online tool that helps with legal matters. This tool will help you fill out the proper court forms by asking them questions. After that, you can print a copy of the document and turn it in at the correct courthouse.

How To Look Up Vermont Small Claims Records?

Like in Vermont Legal Judgment Records, you can access small claims records for this state online using the Vermont Judiciary Public Portal. With this tool, you can look at case files, schedules for hearings, and other information.

To find out how to use this website, you can go to the state's judiciary, which has instructions for using this web-based application.

Alternatively, you can access these documents by visiting the Clerk's Office at the courthouse that heard the case.

Once you have this record, a typical copy will have the following information:

  • The names of the people involved
  • The value of the claim
  • The name of the judge
  • The decision of the court

What Are Vermont Divorce Court Records?

Vermont Divorce Court Records are legal papers that detail the termination of marriages or civil unions in the state. It can give information about finances, minors, and sensitive crimes like domestic abuse. Because of this, these Vermont Civil Court Records are much more difficult to find than other public records.

In Vermont, you can get a divorce if you or your spouse has lived there for at least six months.

To learn more about divorce processes, you can visit the State of Vermont Judiciary's website, which contains divorce-related material. This website also has information about COPE, a mandatory seminar program for divorcing parents with minor children.

There are three categories of Vermont Divorce Court Records, each offering a different set of information, and these are as follows:

Divorce Certificate

This divorce certificate is a legal document that proves that the two people named on the certificate are no longer married. Most of the time, it has basic information about the divorce, such as:

  • Place of the divorce
  • Date of a divorce
  • Names of the parties involved in the divorce

Divorce Decree

In Vermont, the Family Court makes this kind of legal document and gives it to both sides of a divorce at the end of the trial.

It is the final order in the divorce case and has all the information on a divorce certificate. In addition, it describes the terms of the settlement, which include:

  • Visitation schedules and rights
  • Alimony
  • Parent's rights and responsibilities
  • Allocation of assets and liabilities

Divorce Record

In Vermont, a divorce record is the compilation of all materials produced during the proceedings resulting in the dissolution of a civil marriage.

It has all the information in the first two divorce court records (certificates and decree), plus the following:

  • Motions
  • Orders
  • Assessments
  • Reports
  • Injunctions

How To Look Up Vermont Divorce Court Records

There are several ways to look up divorce court records in Vermont.

If you want a divorce certificate, you can ask the Vermont Department of Health for it. To get certified copies of divorce certificates from 2014 to the present, you must complete a request form and submit it to the appropriate agency.

For divorces in this state before 2014, you can obtain these certified copies of these records from the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA).

You can use the Vital Records Request Service or send a letter to get these records. For a mail request, you must fill out the VSARA-09 request form and send it to VSARA along with the full fee and a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

On the other hand, you can get a divorce decree and records in Vermont by contacting the Clerk's Office of the Family Court that issued the final divorce order.

What Are Vermont Probate Court Records?

Vermont Probate Court Records contain papers about the administration of an individual's property and the care of their heirs.

The probate procedure is a safety measure for distributing property after someone dies. Furthermore, it guarantees the settlement of obligations and transfers property titles to the new owners.

In this state, the following are some of the probate matters:

  • Distributions
  • Inventories
  • Wills
  • Bonds
  • Orders
  • Administrations

In Vermont, the Probate Division of the Superior Court was in charge of probate proceedings. This court checks the legitimacy of a will and controls estate management to ensure the executor or administrator follows laws and honors final intentions.

If you wish to commence probate, you must file a Petition to Open Decedent's Estate with the Probate Court. When you file, you must pay a filing fee to the court or ask for a fee waiver.

To learn more about probate processes in this state, you can visit the website of the state's judiciary. In the same way, you can read Title 14 of Vermont Statutes to find out what the probate rules are in this state.

Where can you find Vermont Probate Court Records? You can find these records by going to the Probate District Courthouses that handled the case. These district offices keep both original probate files and card indexes of the deceased.

How To Look Up Civil Court Cases in Vermont?

The first step in looking up Vermont Civil Court Records is to find the courthouses that handled the case. These courthouses keep both paper and electronic files. Thus, you can obtain these data at the courthouse or remotely online.

To get these records in person, you must fill out the Request for Access to Court Record form and send it to the proper court. To know the location of the courts in this state, you can visit the Find a Court Tool on the state's judiciary.

Alternatively, you can access these documents through VTCourtsOnline. To use this system, you must pay a one-time fee of $12.50 to set up an account. After that, you can do five detailed name queries, docket lookups, and case summaries for free.

But you have to pay an extra $0.50 to see the docket page that displays current docket details. You can also buy more lookups at any time after making an account.

Finally, you can utilize the Vermont Judiciary Public Portal, which provides role-based entry to civil court records, meeting calendars, and other data to the public. However, only limited types of cases and hearing information are accessible to anonymous individuals.