{"data":{"id":"us-vt/14-v.s.a.-2623","jurisdiction":"us-vt","citation":"14 V.S.A. § 2623","heading":"Petition for guardianship of minor; service","body":"(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:\n(1) the names and addresses of the parents, the child, and the proposed guardian;\n(2) the proposed guardian’s relationship to the child;\n(3) the names of all members of the proposed guardian’s household and each person’s relationship to the proposed guardian and the child;\n(4) that the child is alleged to be a child in need of guardianship;\n(5) specific reasons with supporting facts why guardianship is sought;\n(6) whether the parties agree that the child is in need of guardianship and that the proposed guardian should be appointed as guardian;\n(7) the child’s current school and grade level;\n(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;\n(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;\n(10) any prior or current court proceedings, child support matters, or parent-child contact orders involving the child;\n(11) whether the petition seeks a standby guardianship and the reasons for the request, including the adverse immigration action that the custodial parent is subject to; and\n(12) whether the petition is an emergency petition filed pursuant to subdivision 2625(f)(1) of this title.\n(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.\n(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:\n(i) the identity of the parent is unknown;\n(ii) the location of the parent is unknown and cannot be determined with reasonable effort; or\n(iii)(I) the custodial parent is detained as the result of an adverse immigration action; and\n(II) the guardian and the custodial parent’s attorney are unable to contact the custodial parent after making reasonable efforts.\n(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 (b).","path":["Title 14: Decedents Estates and Fiduciary Relations","Chapter 111: Guardianship","Subchapter 002: PERSONS FOR WHOM GUARDIANS APPOINTED"],"source_url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/14/111/02623","current_through":"2025 session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T17:16:59Z","sha256":"0fc305417c7ead03c096960ce7190a6cb4498ee50aab50c9e20b11f20575c08d","source_id":"us-vt","stale":false,"prev":"us-vt/14-v.s.a.-2622","next":"us-vt/14-v.s.a.-2624"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}