Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 14 Sec. 2623

  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See

§ 2623. Petition for guardianship of minor; service

(a) A parent or a person interested in the welfare of a minor may file a petition with the Probate Division of the Superior Court for the appointment of a guardian for a child. The petition shall state:

(1) the names and addresses of the parents, the child, and the proposed guardian;

(2) the proposed guardian’s relationship to the child;

(3) the names of all members of the proposed guardian’s household and each person’s relationship to the proposed guardian and the child;

(4) that the child is alleged to be a child in need of guardianship;

(5) specific reasons with supporting facts why guardianship is sought;

(6) whether the parties agree that the child is in need of guardianship and that the proposed guardian should be appointed as guardian;

(7) the child’s current school and grade level;

(8) if the proposed guardian intends to change the child’s current school, the name and location of the proposed new school and the estimated date when the child would enroll;

(9) the places where the child has lived during the last five years, and the names and present addresses of the persons with whom the child has lived during that period; and

(10) any prior or current court proceedings, child support matters, or parent-child contact orders involving the child.

(b)(1) A petition for guardianship of a child under this section shall be served on all parties and interested persons as provided by Rule 4 of the Vermont Rules of Probate Procedure.

(2)(A) The Probate Division may waive the notice requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection (b) with respect to a parent if the court finds that:

(i) the identity of the parent is unknown; or

(ii) the location of the parent is unknown and cannot be determined with reasonable effort.

(B) After a guardianship for a child is created, the Probate Division shall reopen the proceeding at the request of a parent of the child who did not receive notice of the proceeding as required by this subsection. (Added 2013, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2014.)