§ 1431 - Fees in supreme, superior, district, family, and environmental courts
§ 1431. Fees in supreme, superior, district, family, and environmental courts
(a) Prior to the entry of any cause in the supreme court there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $250.00 in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section.
(b)(1) Prior to the entry of any cause in the superior court or environmental court there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $250.00 in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section.
(2) Prior to the entry of any divorce or annulment proceeding in the family court there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $250.00 in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section; however, if the divorce or annulment complaint is filed with a stipulation for a final order acceptable to the court, the fee shall be $75.00.
(3) Prior to the entry of any parentage or desertion and support proceeding brought under chapter 5 of Title 15 in the family court there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $100.00 in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section; however, if the parentage or desertion and support complaint is filed with a stipulation for a final order acceptable to the court, the fee shall be $25.00.
(4) Prior to the entry of any motion or petition to enforce an order for parental rights and responsibilities, parent-child contact, or maintenance in the family court there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $75.00 in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section. Prior to the entry of any motion or petition to vacate or modify an order for parental rights and responsibilities, parent-child contact, or maintenance in the family court, there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $100.00 in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section. However, if the motion or petition is filed with a stipulation for an order acceptable to the court, the fee shall be $25.00. All motions or petitions filed by one party at one time shall be assessed one fee.
(5) Prior to the entry of any motion or petition to vacate or modify an order for child support in the family court there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $35.00 in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section; however, if the motion or petition is filed with a stipulation for an order acceptable to the court, there shall be no fee. A motion or petition to enforce an order for child support shall require no fee. All motions or petitions filed by one party at one time shall be assessed one fee; if a simultaneous motion is filed by a party under subdivision (4) of this subsection, the subdivision (4) fee shall be the only fee assessed.
(c) Prior to the entry of a small claims action there shall be paid to the clerk for the benefit of the county in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section, a fee of $75.00 if the claim is for more than $1,000.00 and $50.00 if the claim is for $1,000.00 or less. Prior to the entry of any postjudgment motion in a small claims action, there shall be paid to the clerk for the benefit of the county a fee of $50.00. The fee for every counterclaim in small claims proceedings shall be $25.00, payable to the county, if the counterclaim is for more than $500.00, and $15.00 if the counterclaim is for $500.00 or less.
(d) Prior to the entry of any subsequent pleading which sets forth a claim for relief in the supreme court or the superior, environmental, or district court, there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $100.00 for every appeal, cross-claim, or third-party claim and a fee of $75.00 for every counterclaim in the superior or environmental court in lieu of all other fees not otherwise set forth in this section. The fee for an appeal of a magistrate's decision in the family court shall be $100.00. The filing fee for civil suspension proceedings filed pursuant to 23 V.S.A § 1205 shall be $75.00, which shall be taxed in the bill of costs in accordance with sections 1433 and 1471 of this title.
(e) Prior to the filing of any postjudgment motion in the superior, environmental, or district court, including motions to reopen civil suspensions, there shall be paid to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the state a fee of $75.00 except for small claims actions.
(f) The filing fee for all actions filed in the judicial bureau shall be $50.00; the state or municipality shall not be required to pay the fee; however, if the respondent denies the allegations on the ticket, the fee shall be taxed in the bill of costs in accordance with sections 1433 and 1471 of this title and shall be paid to the clerk of the bureau for the benefit of the state.
(g) Prior to the filing of any postjudgment motion in the judicial bureau there shall be paid to the clerk of the bureau, for the benefit of the state, a fee of $35.00. Prior to the filing of any appeal from the judicial bureau to the district court there shall be paid to the clerk of the court, for the benefit of the state, a fee of $100.00.
(h) Pursuant to Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure 3.1, Vermont Rules of Appellate Procedure 24(a), or District Court Civil Rules 3.1, part or all of the filing fee may be waived if the court finds that the applicant is unable to pay it. The clerk of the court or the clerk's designee shall establish the in forma pauperis fee in accordance with procedures and guidelines established by administrative order of the supreme court. (Amended 1967, No. 119, § 3; 1969, No. 125, § 14; 1975, No. 206 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. date; 1985, No. 54, § 2; 1989, No. 221 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; 1995, No. 77 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 21, 1996; 1997, No. 121 (Adj. Sess.), § 22; 2003, No. 70 (Adj. Sess.), § 20, eff. March 1, 2004; 2007, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 19.)