Vermont Superior Courts

The Vermont Superior Courts are trial courts in Vermont.

On July 1, 2010, the former superior, district, family, and environmental courts were unified into the Vermont Superior Court. The court includes five divisions—civil, criminal, environmental, family, and probate—and has a superior court unit in each of Vermont's 14 counties. The chief superior court judge is responsible for assigning judges to units and divisions for a set period of time, generally one year. Depending on the unit, judges may be assigned to hear cases in one or multiple divisions.

Court divisions

The civil division hears cases involving civil matters such as breach of contract, eviction, foreclosure, personal injury, land disputes, medical malpractice, wrongful death cases and appeals from the probate court. The civil division also includes small claims courts.

The criminal division hears cases involving criminal offenses, some civil disputes, civil suspension, fish and wildlife violations, as well as appeals from the Vermont Judicial Bureau.

The family division hears cases involving family-related legal matters such as divorces, annulments, desertions, separations, child support, parentage, domestic abuse, juvenile abuse or neglect, juvenile delinquency and commitments to the Vermont State Hospital.

Judges in the probate division are elected to four-year terms. The probate division has jurisdiction over adoptions, emancipation, and guardianship; birth, death, and marriage records; and the probate of wills and estates.

The environment division is the only superior court division that is not represented in each of the 14 superior court units throughout Vermont; it is a statewide division. Two judges are appointed to the environmental division and travel throughout the state to hear cases regarding municipal and state land use. The division hears appeals from zoning, planning, and review boards and appeals of land use and jurisdictional decisions made under Act 250. It also hears enforcement requests on land use at the state and municipal level.

Courts by county

• Addison County Superior Court
• Bennington County Superior Court
• Caledonia and Essex Superior Court
• Caledonia County Superior Court
• Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Superior Court
• Chittenden County Superior Court
• Essex County Superior Court
• Franklin and Grand Isle Superior Court
• Franklin County Superior Court
• Grand Isle County Superior Court
• Lamoille County Superior Court
• Orange County Superior Court
• Orleans County Superior Court
• Rutland County Superior Court
• Washington County Superior Court
• Windham County Superior Court
• Windsor County Superior Court

See also

• Vermont Superior Courts, Civil Division
• Vermont Superior Courts, Criminal Division
• Vermont Superior Courts, Environmental Division
• Vermont Superior Courts, Family Division
• Vermont Probate Division
• Courts in Vermont
• Vermont counties

External links

• Vermont Judiciary, “Vermont Superior Court: Family Division”
• Vermont Judiciary, "Court Information"
• Vermont Judiciary, "Superior Judge Rotation Schedule September 2, 2014 through September 7, 2015"
• Vermont Secretary of State, "County Contacts: Assistant Judges, County Clerks, Sheriffs"

Footnotes

Vermont courts

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Federal courts:

Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Vermont • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Vermont

State courts:

Vermont Supreme Court • Vermont Superior Courts • Vermont Probate Court • Vermont Judicial Bureau

State resources:

Courts in Vermont • Vermont judicial elections • Judicial selection in Vermont