Vt. eFiling: Civil Division E-Filing Guide

CIVIL DIVISION EFILING GUIDE

EFSP v1 January 2026

Contents

INTRODUCTORY NOTES................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 4

SCOPE.OF.THIS.FILER.GUIDE................................................................................................................ 0

SYSTEM.NAME.UPDATES....................................................................................................................... 0

ACCESSING EFILE AND SERVE................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 5

REGISTRATION................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 5

TRAINING AND SUPPORT................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 5

FILING NEW CASES................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 6

CASE.TYPES......................................................................................................................................... ❷

ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENT—ANSWER NO COMPLAINT FILED........................................................ 6

APPEAL—ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY................................................................................................. 6

CONTRACT...................................................................................................................................... 6

FOREIGN SUBPOENA....................................................................................................................... 6

LANDLORD/TENANT........................................................................................................................ 6

PERMISSION TO FILE PURSUANT TO 15 VSA SEC 1185....................................................................... 7

SMALL CLAIMS................................................................................................................................ 7

STALKING AND SEXUAL ASSAULT...................................................................................................... 7

TORT—INTENTIONAL TORT............................................................................................................... 7

ABUSIVE LITIGATION CONCERNING LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH CARE ACTIVITY PER 12 V.S.A. ......... 7

§7302.............................................................................................................................................. 7

PARTY INFORMATION................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 7

FILINGS................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 8

FILING.TYPE......................................................................................................................................... ❹

FILING.INFORMATION.......................................................................................................................... ❹

FILING CODE................................................................................................................................... 8

OPTIONAL SECTIONS....................................................................................................................... 8

UPLOADING DOCUMENTS................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 8

NOTES.ABOUT.DOCUMENTS................................................................................................................ ❹

OPTIONAL SERVICES................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 9

SERVICE (FOR EFILE AND SERVE FILINGS)................................ ................................ ........................ 9

FEES................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 10

EXEMPTIONS..................................................................................................................................... 76

STATUTORY.OR.RULE.EXEMPTIONS..................................................................................................... 76

AS.APPLIED.ECONOMIC.HARDSHIP.EXEMPTIONS............................................................................... 77

SUBMISSION AGREEMENTS............................................................................................................ 11

FILING INTO EXISTING CASES....................................................................................................... 12

COUNTER.CLAIMS?.CROSS.CLAIMS?.AND.THIRD‗PARTY.CLAIMS.......................................................... 79

POST.JUDGMENT.MOTIONS................................................................................................................ 79

MOTION.FOR.PERMISSION.TO.FILE.PURSUANT.TO.7❶.VSA Sec 1182....................................................... 79

AGENCY.FILERS................................................................................................................................. 79

APPEALS.TO.THE.SUPREME.COURT.................................................................................................... 70

COPIES.AND.OTHER.OPTIONAL.SERVICES.......................................................................................... 70

PHOTOCOPIES.............................................................................................................................. 14

CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS................................................................................................................ 14

REFILING.AFTER.REJECTION............................................................................................................... 7❶

SUPPORT AND TROUBLESHOOTING.............................................................................................. 15

TECHNICAL.ISSUES.OR.QUESTIONS.RELATED.TO.THE.FUCTIONING.OF.EFILE.AND.SERVE.................... 7❶

INTRODUCTORY NOTES

SCOPE OF THIS FILER GUIDE

This guide is NOT intended to be a comprehensive guide to use of the eFile & Serve System. It

provides supplemental division-specific guidance for eFiling in the Civil Division. Detailed

instructions about registering and using the eFiling system are available at:

https://odysseyfileandservecloud.zendesk.com/hc/en-us and additional Vermont-specific user

guides and other information and training materials about electronic filing are available on the

Vermont Judiciary’s website at:

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermont-judiciary/electronic-access/electronic-filing

SYSTEM NAME UPDATES

The Vermont Judiciary’s electronic case management and electronic filing systems have recently

been rebranded by the vendor that produces them (Tyler Technologies), resulting in some

updates to the labels by which those systems are known. For the court’s case management

system, the name “Odyssey” has been replaced by “Enterprise Justice” or “EJ” for short. For the

electronic filing system, the name “Odyssey File & Serve” (OFS) has been replaced by “eFile &

Serve” (EFS), with our specific Vermont version also being referred to as “eFileVT.” It is

understood that many internal and external users may still refer to these systems as Odyssey,

and that is perfectly acceptable for purposes of communication to the court and among court

users. This notice is being provided to offer context as to why the court’s updated instructional

materials and announcements will no longer reference the “Odyssey” systems. If there are any

questions or concerns about these changes, please feel free to reach out to

itsupport@vtcourts.gov.

ACCESSING EFILE AND SERVE

All Vermont Courts have adopted universal eFiling in all dockets through the eFile & Serve

system, which is a web-based platform accessible from any modern browser on a computer or

mobile device. eFile & Serve can be accessed directly at:

https://efilevt.tylertech.cloud/OfsEfsp/ui/landing or via a link on the Vermont Judiciary’s

website’s eFiling page at:

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermont-judiciary/electronic-access/electronic-filing

REGISTRATION

Registration for eFiling is free and simple. All that is required is a valid email address. There are

different registration options for firm/organizational users and independent users such as self-represented litigants. Instructions on how to register are found in the user guides and other

materials in the “self-help” section of the eFile & Serve homepage.

NOTE: All users including attorneys and self-represented litigants who choose to eFile must self-

register. Court staff cannot complete registrations on behalf of filers or edit any user’s

registration information.

TRAINING AND SUPPORT

For general information and questions about use of the eFiling system, on the eFile & Serve

homepage https://efilevt.tylertech.cloud/OfsEfsp/ui/landing there are numerous resources:

 Live web training sessions and recorded trainings that can be viewed any time

 A Database of FAQs

 Chat, messaging and other contact options for support

 Training videos

 Downloadable user guides

Vermont-specific guides about filing in various division and case types are on the Judiciary

website’s eFiling page https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermont-judiciary/electronic-access/electronic-filing, also accessible here from the homepage:

There is also a Judiciary eFiling helpdesk for Vermont-specific eFiling procedural questions at:

EFileSupport@vtcourts.gov

Please use this email for eFiling questions and do not send eFiling questions to the main

Judiciary Helpdesk email.

FILING NEW CASES

After logging in to eFile & Serve, while on the Dashboard page, select Start Filing followed by

Start New Case.

 Location: Select the appropriate county

 Category: Select Civil for all civil division case types, including Small Claims

CASE TYPES

Below are notes on some common civil case types. Additional case types are available to select

when filing.

ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENT—ANSWER NO COMPLAINT FILED

This case type should only be used when filing an Answer to a case that has not been already

filed with the court. The Filer should first try to find the Case Number, and if the Case Number

does not exist, the filer can use this case type to file their Answer.

APPEAL—ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY

This case type may be used for appeals of revocation of furlough status under 28

V.S.A. §.724.

CONTRACT

 Contract – Other

 Contract – Buyer Plaintiff: Case type is used for cases involving a buyer of goods or

services alleging failure of the seller to deliver goods or service

FOREIGN SUBPOENA

Cases are usually filed by an out-of-state attorney. Out-of-state attorneys must register in eFile &

Serve with an Individual account, not a firm account since they do not maintain a Vermont Bar

number.

 Filing fee is $295.00, 32 V.S.A. §1431(b)(1)

 Parties: Case type requires a petitioner and a respondent. The petitioner can be who is

requesting the subpoena, and the respondent is the requestee.

LANDLORD/TENANT

Landlord/Tenant – Eviction: Standard eviction proceeding with a landlord seeking possession of

property.

Landlord/Tenant – Abandoned Property: Including cases regarding abandoned mobile homes

under 10 V.S.A. § 6249.

PERMISSION TO FILE PURSUANT TO 15 VSA SEC 1185

To petition the court for an order restricting abusive litigation, filers should select the Filing

Code Initial Filing to attach the Application.

 There are no filing fees for a Petition under 15 VSA sec. 1185. Filer may use a “Waiver”

account when filing this case type to waive all fees.

SMALL CLAIMS

Choose the correct case type based on the amount and type of claim:

 Small Claims $1,000 or less Small Claims $1,001 - $10,000

 Small Claims Medical Debt $1,000 or less Small Claims Medical Debt $1,001 - $5,000

 Small Claims Consumer Credit Debt $1,000 or less Small Claims Consumer Credit Debt

$1,001 - $5,000

STALKING AND SEXUAL ASSAULT

There are four case types:

 Sexual Assault

 Sexual Assault on behalf of a Minor

 Stalking

 Stalking on behalf of a Minor

There are no filing fees for a Stalking/Sexual Assault case. Filers may use a “waiver” account,

which is a payment method the eFile & Serve user must add in their account settings, when filing

these cases.

TORT—INTENTIONAL TORT

ABUSIVE LITIGATION CONCERNING LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH CARE ACTIVITY PER 12 V.S.A.

§7302

At any point in this process, you may select “Save Draft and Exit” in the bottom-left in order to

save any current progress and come back to the filing later.

Select “Parties →” in the bottom-right to continue.

PARTY INFORMATION

 Fill in all party information as completely and accurately as possible

 After first party information entered, filer must click “Save” in the bottom-right before

moving to enter next party.

 Required parties in each case type will be listed by default and must be added.

 Additional parties may be added by clicking the “add another party” button.

o If “+ Add More” is clicked by accident, click “Cancel” in the bottom-right to return

to the Parties screen.

o If a party has been mistakenly added and needs to be removed, select the Trash

Can icon next to the party’s name under “Actions” to delete the party (hovering

over the icon will show text “Delete party.” There will be a confirmation pop-up

asking to verify whether or not the party should really be deleted.

 Select “Filings” in the bottom-right to continue.

FILINGS

Start by selecting “+ Add Filing.” This will bring you to a section to Edit Filing Details which is

split into two sections: Filing Requirements and Additional Services and Fees.

FILING TYPE

If using the “eServe” feature (see info in user guides), select “eFile &Serve” or “Serve” from the

Filing Type dropdown menu. Otherwise select “eFile Only.” Please see Vermont eService Guide

for details on electronic service.

FILING INFORMATION

FILING CODE

For all new cases in the Civil Division (including Small Claims), select “Initial Filing” as the Filing

Code for uploading the Summons, Complaint, and other initiating documents.

OPTIONAL SECTIONS

 Filing Description

 Client Reference Number

 Comments to Court

UPLOADING DOCUMENTS

Documents being uploaded can either be dragged from a folder and dropped into the gray box

in eFile & Serve that says “Drag files here” or they can be uploaded by selecting “Select file”

under the appropriate section (Lead Document or Attachments), and that will allow you to

locate and upload files from a File Upload pop-up.

 Lead Document – Primary Pleading

 Attachment – Any and all supporting documents

NOTES ABOUT DOCUMENTS

 Documents must be uploaded in PDF Format.

 Documents MUST BE FLATTENED (fillable fields and other embedded objects removed).

Usually accomplished by “printing to PDF”- more detailed instructions available in VT

Policy and Procedure Guide)

 When filing a new case, the Complaint or other initiating document should be uploaded

as the “lead” document and other supporting documents should be individually

uploaded as separate Attachments.

 Each document uploaded must have a Security type selected, or you cannot proceed.

 Documents containing confidential information such as social security numbers must be

labeled as a “Confidential Document” from the Security dropdown menu by the

document. Where required by the new Rules of Electronic Filing, a redacted version

MUST also be filed.

 Under Communications, you may list email addresses for individuals that you wish to

receive courtesy copies of the filing.

 Click “Save” in the bottom-right to save the current filing.

OPTIONAL SERVICES

To request copies of documents, exemplified copies, certified copies, or public record retrieval.

 Click “Additional Services and Fees” directly under “Edit Filing Details” and to the

right of “Filing Requirements” OR click “Add Additional Services →” in the bottom-right when scrolled to the bottom of the Filing Requirements Section.

 Check the box or boxes of whichever services you wish to use

 If you wish to remove additional services that have been added in previously, you

can go back into the filing, go back into the Additional Services and Fees section,

uncheck the boxes, and Save.

 Once all filings are set up (Additional filings can be entered by selecting “+ Add

More” at the bottom of the Filings box), either select “Service →” or “Skip to Fees” in

the bottom-right of the page depending upon whether the filing is eFile Only or eFile

and Serve.

SERVICE (FOR EFILE AND SERVE FILINGS)

 Add service contacts by selecting “Add” and then picking an option from the

dropdown menu. You can add yourself, someone from the Party List, someone from

a Firm List, someone from a Public List, or choose to Add a New Contact.

 You may add as many service contacts as you need. Contacts can also be edited or

removed by clicking on the three stacked dot icon next to the contact’s name and

then selecting either “Edit Service Contact” or “Delete Service Contact.”

 Select “Fees” in the bottom-right corner to proceed.

FEES

Either select a payment account from the dropdown menu or add a new payment account.

 If you are filing with an Application to Waive Filing Fees, will need to create a Waiver

Account to use for the filing fee, which will waive all filing fees.

 Select the person responsible for fees (The filer is responsible for fees)

 Filing Attorney – will populate when using Attorney Account

 Click “Calculate Fees” to see a breakdown of the fees for the filing(s).

 Select “Summary” in the bottom-right of the page to continue.

The Vermont Judiciary has instituted a new per case filing fee structure for the eFiling system,

effective April 1, 2021. This new fee structure is the result of a collaborative effort and the

culmination the eFiling Fees Study Committee, as well as continued dialogue with the Vermont

Bar Association and Tyler Technologies. The new per case fee is $14.00 per filer or firm, payable

upon a party’s first filing. Convenience fees remain in place with a 2.89% processing fee for

credit card payments and $1.00 per case for eCheck payments. However, a number of

exemptions remain in place. All criminal filings are automatically exempt from the case fee and

for any case type where there is no court fee, the party filing will not incur the user fee either.

PLEASE NOTE:

 The new per case fee is $14 per party, per filer within a firm, charged once upon first

filing. If a party’s representation changes from one firm to another, the fee will be

charged again upon the new firm’s first filing into the case. A pro se litigant who

chooses to use the eFiling system is also required to pay the fee upon first filing. If a

pro se litigant later seeks representation, the fee would be charged again upon the

firm’s first filing against the firm’s payment account.

 Some filers may be erroneously re-assessed the $14 charge as a result of merging of

system entities in Odyssey (a process to correct duplicate records for the same

individual). When a party entity for whom the per case fee has been paid is merged

into another entity for whom the fee has not been paid, the fee will assess again.

Filers in those situations may contact Tyler Technologies for a refund.

EXEMPTIONS

For the following exemptions, parties must still choose a waiver account when filing:

STATUTORY OR RULE EXEMPTIONS

 Government and appointed filers, pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 1433 and Rule 10(d)(1) of

the Rules for Electronic Filing (2021)

 Stalking & Sexual Assault cases, pursuant to 12 V.S.A. § 5133(f)

 Relief from Abuse cases, pursuant to 15 V.S.A. § 1103(f)

 Abuse Prevention for Vulnerable Adult, pursuant to 33 V.S.A § 6933(b)

AS APPLIED ECONOMIC HARDSHIP EXEMPTIONS

 Fee waiver determination, pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 1431(h) or 32 V.S.A. § 1434(b) in

Probate cases, and

 Fee waiver determination, pursuant to V.R.C.P. 3.1 and V.R.P.P. 3.1

Government agency filers and others who are statutorily exempt from paying filing fees

may file via a “waiver” account that can be set up for each registered user. There is a guide to

creating a waiver account posted at https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermontjudiciary/electronic-access/electronic-filing.

A waiver account would also be used by anyone filing an Application to Waive Filing and Service

Fees (formerly IFP/In Forma Pauperis). Filers upload the completed application in PDF format

along with their other filing(s) and are notified after court review whether the application has

been granted. If the request is denied, the filing will still be accepted but the filer will be sent a

notice of a deadline for making payment of the appropriate fee.

Case filing fees paid to the Court are established by statute. Current fees and authorizing

statutes are available at https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/fees.

The latest updates and answers to frequently asked questions regarding electronic filing are

available on the Judiciary website at https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermontjudiciary/electronic-access/electronic-filing.

SUBMISSION AGREEMENTS

In order to submit a filing, boxes must be checked to certify:

(1) compliance with the Rules for Public Access to Court Records

(2) compliance with service obligations under V.R.E.F.

Along with the submission agreement checkboxes, this page also has a summary of the

envelope information, including Case Information, Parties, Filings, and Fees. Each section has an

Edit button in the top-right of the section that can be clicked to go back and make changes in

that particular section. Once the boxes are checked under Submission Agreement and all

information looks good in the summary, click on “Submit →” in the bottom-right of the page to

submit the filing. Once submitted, there should be a pop-up window in eFile & Serve indicating

that the envelope submitted successfully and offering options to either view a receipt of the

filing or to return to the eFile & Serve dashboard.

FILING INTO EXISTING CASES

NOTE: All existing pending and closed cases that were in the legacy case management system

will be searchable in eFile & Serve and available for making subsequent filings. For older cases

that originated in the previous case management system, use the existing docket number in its

full original format (including the 4-letter county initial/docket code at the end. Ex. 1-1-01

Ancv).

To start filing into an existing case, while logged into eFile & Serve and on the Dashboard page,

select “Start Filing” followed by “File Into Existing Case.”

 Location: Select the county where the case being filed into is.

 Search Options: Select the bubble to search for a case either via the Case Number or

by searching the Party Name. A Case Number will bring up one individual case while

a Party Name search will bring up more cases if the party searched is/was involved in

more than one case.

When the case being searched for appears, click on “Actions” in the top-right of the case

followed by “File Into Case” to begin filing into the existing case.

Similarly to filing into a new case, there are sections for Case Information, Parties, Filings,

Service, Fees, and a Summary. Case Information and Parties cannot be altered or amended

here, however, additional parties can be added. Filings, Service, Fees, and Summary all follow

the same general instruction as when filing a new case. There are some specific things to note

for particular filings that go into existing cases:

COUNTER CLAIMS, CROSS CLAIMS, AND THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS

Select the appropriate filing code for each so that accompanying fee is assessed:

 Civil Counterclaim - $90.00

 Civil Crossclaim - $120.00

 Civil Third Party Claim - $120.00

If filing one of these claims with an Answer, use the Filing Code for the appropriate claim and in

the Filing Description type “Answer.”

POST JUDGMENT MOTIONS

All motions filed after judgment require a filing fee except for small claims actions, and motions

to confirm the sale of property in foreclosure. See 32 V.S.A. 1431(e).

NOTE: A Motion for Tack Order, if filed after judgment has issued, will require a post-judgment

fee.

NOTE: Regarding Motion to Withdraw Limited Appearance

To withdraw from a case for a limited appearance, attorney should choose Filing Code – Motion

to Withdraw Limited Appearance—and there is no filing fee for this motion type if post-judgment.

If filing a post judgment motion, select the Filing Code for the existing motion with a post

judgment fee or if there is not a listed motion Filing Code with a fee, select Filing Code - Motion

Miscellaneous with $90.00 fee.

MOTION FOR PERMISSION TO FILE PURSUANT TO 15 VSA Sec 1182

To petition the court for an order to restrict abusive litigation in an existing case. There is no

filing fee and filer may use a waiver account to avoid all fees.

AGENCY FILERS

Government Agency Filers and other entities who are exempt by rule or statute from paying any

court filing fees will continue to be exempt from paying fees when filing in eFile & Serve. Such

filers should set up a “waiver” payment account when registering and use this for filings made

in the course of their official job duties.

Waiver of Filing Fees (formerly known as “In Forma Pauperis” Process)

To request a waiver of filing fees when submitting either a new or a subsequent case filing

through eFile & Serve, select “waiver” as the payment method (the filer must have a waiver

account set up as a payment method – this can be done in the filer’s eFile & Serve account

settings).

You must include a completed Application to Waive Filing Fees (form # 228, available on

www.vermontjudiciary.org) in PDF format.

Do not upload the form as an attachment to your lead document. After uploading your other

documents, click on “+ Add More” then use the filing code “Application to Waive Filing and

Service Fees.”

Cases will be accepted by the court through eFile & Serve regardless of whether the filer

qualifies for a waiver or not. Review is completed by court staff after the initial acceptance from

the eFiling system. If the request to waive fees is denied, or if the filer fails to submit the

application form, they will receive notice from the court instructing them on how much is due

and the date by which it must be paid to avoid dismissal of the filing.

APPEALS TO THE SUPREME COURT

When filing an Appeal of a Civil case to the Supreme Court, file the Notice of Appeal in the

existing civil case and pay the filing fee to the Civil Division.

COPIES AND OTHER OPTIONAL SERVICES

Regular photocopies, certified copies and exemplified copies of court documents may be

requested in the “optional services” section when submitting a filing.

IMPORTANT: when selecting any of these services, please also upload a document (the format

does not specifically matter, and the filing code of “Copy Request” can be used) clearly stating

the request including the specific documents for which you want printed copies, and whether

you need a regular, certified or exemplified copy. There are different fees for each so be sure to

select the correct option.

PHOTOCOPIES

Regular printed copies of court documents cost 25 cents/page and there is a $1.00 minimum for

any copies, so if the document is 1-4 pages long the cost will be $1.00(select the option for

“photocopies 1-4”). Printed copies of documents longer than 4 pages will be [# of pages X 25

cents] (select the option for “photocopies 5+” and enter the total # of pages of the

document(s)).

Please also indicate clearly on your filed request document whether you want the documents

mailed to you (if so, specify address), or whether you wish to be notified when the copies are

available for pickup (if so, specify notification method).

CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS

Documents may be certified electronically and delivered to you via email if electronic

certification is suitable for your purposes. Please specify if you would like that option (likely

shorter turnaround time) or need a hard copy with a raised/embossed seal (may be required for

some foreign jurisdictions).

REFILING AFTER REJECTION

When a filing is rejected:

 Filer will receive an email with the rejection reason and any comment the court may

add

 Filer can see the envelope on the Dashboard of Filer’s Account

 Click on either “View Filing History” in the middle of the dashboard page, or on the

“My Filings” icon followed by “Filing History” on the left-side toolbar.

 Find rejected envelope

Locating the envelope can be made easier by changing sort options or changing search

filters.

 Click Actions

 Click Envelope Details

• If filing was rejected, filer has 7 days to refile with a correct document in order to retain

the original filing date. Process to follow:

 On the rejected filing click “Copy this envelope”

SUPPORT AND TROUBLESHOOTING

Case and docket-specific questions (not specifically about eFiling):

(e.g., which forms to file for a particular case type) please contact court staff or consult

information available at https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/civil.

TECHNICAL ISSUES OR QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE FUCTIONING OF EFILE AND

SERVE

Please see the resources available in the “Self-Help” section on the eFile & Serve homepage.

These resources include live assistance with Tyler Technologies support staff through various

methods (phone, email, live chat) as well as a variety of user guides, FAQs and other sources of

information.

Vermont-specific eFiling policy and procedure questions: see other resources available on the

Judiciary website eFiling page at https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermontjudiciary/electronic-access/electronic-filing including the Vermont eFile & Serve Policy and

Procedure Guide, the eService Guide and other materials.

There is also a dedicated eFiling helpdesk email available at EFileSupport@vtcourts.gov.