Vermont Pro Se Help: Free Court Self-Help Centers and Legal Aid by County
If you are handling a divorce, custody, support or protective order case in Vermont on your own, start with the free help that already exists. This page lists, for each of the 14 counties, the court's self-help program and the free legal aid office that serves it, with phone numbers and websites.
Statewide: Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free help by phone or email with Vermont court forms and processes for people without a lawyer.
Addison County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Vergennes.
Bennington County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Manchester, North Bennington, and Old Bennington.
Caledonia County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Lyndonville and West Burke.
Chittenden County: court help from Access and Resource Center - Costello Courthouse (Burlington), phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Burlington, Essex Junction, South Burlington, and Winooski.
Essex County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Beecher Falls, Canaan, Concord, Gilman, Island Pond, and Lunenburg.
Franklin County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Enosburg Falls, St. Albans, and Swanton.
Grand Isle County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Alburgh.
Lamoille County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Cambridge, Hyde Park, Jeffersonville, Johnson, and Morrisville.
Orange County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Newbury and Wells River.
Orleans County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Albany, Barton, Derby Center, Derby Line, Newport, North Troy, and Orleans.
Rutland County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Poultney and Rutland.
Washington County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Barre, Marshfield, and Montpelier.
Windham County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Bellows Falls, Jacksonville, Newfane, Saxtons River, and Westminster.
Windsor County: court help from Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. Free legal aid from Legal Services Vermont, phone (800) 889-2047. Covers Ludlow, Perkinsville, and Woodstock.
Where can I get free help with a family court case in Vermont without a lawyer? Start with Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, run by Vermont Judiciary, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. 1 of 14 counties also have their own local court help listed on this page. For free legal advice, contact Legal Services Vermont if you qualify by income.
Does every Vermont county have its own self-help center? No. 1 of 14 counties have local court help listed here. Every other county is served by Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, which you can call or visit online from anywhere in Vermont.
Who gives free legal aid in Vermont? Vermont is served by one federally funded legal aid office: Legal Services Vermont. Each one serves set counties, so check the listing for your county. Help is free for people who qualify, usually by income.
What is a court self-help center? It is a free help desk run by or for the court for people handling their own case without a lawyer. Staff can explain which forms you need, how to fill them out, how filing and service work, and what happens next. They are not your lawyer, so they cannot tell you what to ask for or how to argue your case.
What is the difference between a self-help center and legal aid? A self-help center helps anyone who walks in or calls, whatever their income, with forms and court steps. A legal aid office is a nonprofit law office that can give free legal advice and sometimes a free lawyer, but only to people who qualify, usually by income. Many parents use both.
What should I have ready before I call? Your county, your case number if you have one, the names of both parents and the children, any papers you were served, and any deadline or hearing date. Write down the date you called, who you spoke to, and what they told you.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free help with a family court case in Vermont without a lawyer?
Start with Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, run by Vermont Judiciary, phone (802) 879-1185, email selfhelp@vtcourts.gov. 1 of 14 counties also have their own local court help listed on this page. For free legal advice, contact Legal Services Vermont if you qualify by income.
Does every Vermont county have its own self-help center?
No. 1 of 14 counties have local court help listed here. Every other county is served by Vermont Judiciary Access and Resource Center, which you can call or visit online from anywhere in Vermont.
Who gives free legal aid in Vermont?
Vermont is served by one federally funded legal aid office: Legal Services Vermont. Each one serves set counties, so check the listing for your county. Help is free for people who qualify, usually by income.
What is a court self-help center?
It is a free help desk run by or for the court for people handling their own case without a lawyer. Staff can explain which forms you need, how to fill them out, how filing and service work, and what happens next. They are not your lawyer, so they cannot tell you what to ask for or how to argue your case.
What is the difference between a self-help center and legal aid?
A self-help center helps anyone who walks in or calls, whatever their income, with forms and court steps. A legal aid office is a nonprofit law office that can give free legal advice and sometimes a free lawyer, but only to people who qualify, usually by income. Many parents use both.
What should I have ready before I call?
Your county, your case number if you have one, the names of both parents and the children, any papers you were served, and any deadline or hearing date. Write down the date you called, who you spoke to, and what they told you.