Vt. Memo to the Bar, May 6, 2025

SUPREME COURT OF VERMONT

OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR

THERESE CORSONES, ESQ. Mailing Address

State Court Administrator Office of the Court Administrator

Therese.Corsones@vtcourts.gov 109 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05609-0701

Telephone (802) 828-3278

FAX: 802 828-3457

www.vermontjudiciary.org

TO: Members of the Vermont Bar

FROM: Teri Corsones, Esq., State Court Administrator

RE: Promulgated and Proposed Rules, Vermont Judiciary Migrating Virtual Hearing

Capabilities, Attorney License Renewal Period, eFile and Serve and Public Portal

Information, Filing of Exhibits & Other Miscellaneous Info

DATE: May 6, 2025

For your information, please find:

• Vermont Judiciary Migrating Virtual Hearing Capabilities

• Promulgation Order Amending V.R.P.P. 3(a) and (b)(3)

• Proposed Order Amending V.R.F.P. 1(b)

• Proposed Order Adding V.R.F.P. 19

• Attorney License Renewal Period

• eFile & Serve and Public Portal Information

• Filing of Exhibits for Evidentiary Hearing

• Miscellaneous

Vermont Judiciary Migrating Virtual Hearing Capabilities

The Vermont Judiciary is migrating virtual hearing capabilities from Webex to Zoom in calendar

year 2025. Please be on the lookout for additional communication from the Judiciary regarding

migration of individual counties and training sessions. More information can be found at

https://zoom.vtcourts.gov including timelines and documentation about using the Zoom platform.

I. PROMULGATED RULE AMENDMENTS

Promulgation Order Amending Rule 3(a) and (b)(3) of the Vermont Rules of Probate

Procedure

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/PROMULGATED--VRPP3(a)and(b)(3)--STAMPED

This Order was promulgated on May 6, 2025, effective January 1, 2026.

Rule 3(a) is amended to provide reference to the alternatives to notice to all interested

persons outlined in paragraphs (b)(2) and (3). Rule 3(b)(3) is amended to make it consistent with

14 V.S.A. § 107, which enables the court to allow a petition if all the heirs at law and surviving

spouse consent. Consent is not required of all other interested persons.

II. PROPOSED RULE AMENDMENTS

(NOTE: THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AND HAVE NOT BEEN

APPROVED BY THE SUPREME COURT.)

a. Proposed Order Amending Rule 1(b) of the Vermont Rules for Family Proceedings

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/PROPOSED-VRFP1(b)--FORCOMMENT

Section 5225(f) of Title 33 authorizes the court to order a child who is the subject of a

delinquency petition to abide by conditions of release pending a merits or disposition hearing. The

proposed amendment to Rule 1(b) allows a judicial officer to set temporary conditions of release

prior to a preliminary hearing providing that the judicial officer has found probable cause and has

determined that conditions are necessary to prevent bodily injury to the juvenile or another

person or harm to property. The threshold finding for issuance of temporary conditions prior to

the preliminary hearing parallels the language in V.R.Cr.P. 4(c)(1)(D).

Comments on this proposed amendment should be sent by July 7, 2025, to Hon. Kerry Ann

McDonald-Cady, Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Rules for Family Proceedings, at the

following address:

Hon. Kerry Ann McDonald-Cady, Chair

Kerry.McDonald-Cady@vtcourts.gov

b. Proposed Order Adding Rule 19 of the Vermont Rules for Family Proceedings

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/PROPOSED-VRFP19Added--FORCOMMENT

Rule 19 is added to provide rules of procedure for obtaining an Extreme Risk Protection Order

(ERPO) in accordance with 13 V.S.A. §§ 4051-4061. Under the ERPO statute, a state’s attorney or

the Attorney General may request an order prohibiting a person from possessing a firearm or

explosive for up to six months if the person’s possession thereof poses an extreme risk of harm to

the person or other persons. A 2023 amendment permits a family or household members to file

an ERPO petition. Rule 19(a) specifies that the rules of civil procedure apply to ERPO proceedings

with certain exceptions and modifications. Rule 19(b) specifies who may file an ERPO petition.

Rule 19(c) sets forth the required allegations for an ERPO petition consistent with 13 V.S.A.

§ 4053(c). Rule 19(d) permits the issuance of temporary ex parte orders without notice to the

respondent upon motion and affidavit in accordance with 13 V.S.A. § 4054(a)-(b). Rule 19(e)

requires that if a petition is denied, the reasons for the denial must be recorded in writing and

given to the petitioner. Rule 19(f) outlines the process for the substitution of a state’s attorney

and the transmission of all court documents in the case when a petition is filed by a family or

household member. Rule 19(g) addresses the procedure for voluntary dismissals by the prosecutor

prior to a hearing on the ERPO petition. Rule 19(h) addresses the requirements for ERPO orders

issued by the court. Rule 19(i) permits the issuance of ex parte orders by electronic means. Rule

19(j) sets forth the procedures for termination motions filed by respondents. V.R.F.P. 19(k) sets

the procedure for renewal motions.

Comments on this proposed amendment should be sent by July 7, 2025, to Hon. Kerry Ann

McDonald-Cady, Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Rules for Family Proceedings, at the

following address:

Hon. Kerry Ann McDonald-Cady, Chair

Kerry.McDonald-Cady@vtcourts.gov

III. ATTORNEY LICENSE RENEWAL PERIOD

This is a reminder for attorneys due to renew their law license this year. Renewals must be done

through the Attorney Portal, which will open for renewals shortly (attorneys due to renew this

year will be notified by email as soon as the Portal is open for renewals).

The deadline for renewing is July 1. Attorneys wishing to change their licensing status for the

2025-2027 reporting period will be able to do so via the renewal process. If you wish to relinquish

your license rather than renew, you can eFile this form prior to the July 1 deadline.

Attorneys can check this list to see if they need to renew this year:

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/sites/default/files/documents/AttorneyGoodStanding_43.pdf

IV. eFILE & SERVE AND PUBLIC PORTAL INFORMATION

eFile and Serve has provided information for court users who are not receiving email notifications

and who question whether their email addresses have mistakenly been placed on a “Suppression

List.” Here’s a link to information in that regard Why was my email placed on the Suppression List?

– eFile (zendesk.com). Here’s another link for court users who wish to have their email addresses

“Safelisted” to ensure proper delivery https://odysseyfileandserve.zendesk.com/hc/en-

us/articles/360046887411.

All Superior Courts, including the Environmental Division, the Judicial Bureau, and the Supreme

Court use eFile and Serve. Please use the following links to access the electronic filing and portal

systems and for more information.

Reminders for eFile Users:

Attorneys must select the party they represent as the “person responsible for fees” in the Fee

section of the filing process. Additionally, when the attorney represents more than one party,

attorneys should continue to select the same party as the “person responsible for fees”;

otherwise, the attorney will incur an additional efiling use fee.

eFile & Serve. eFile and Serve is the platform through which you electronically file with the courts.

To access eFile, please visit https://vermont.tylertech.cloud/OfsWeb/Home

You can access user guides through the “User Guides” link in the “Self Help” window. You can also

access docket-specific user guides and a new Frequently Asked Questions on the judiciary’s

website at www.vermontjudiciary.org/efiling

For technical support regarding eFile, please contact Tyler Technologies at 800-297-5377 or

efiling.support@tylertech.com

If you have procedural questions about eFile, please email the judiciary at

EFileSupport@vtcourts.gov

Odyssey Public Portal. The Odyssey Public Portal allows you to view your case files. To access the

portal, please visit https://portal.vtcourts.gov/Portal Before you can view your case files, you

must first register in the portal and then request elevated access. The Public Portal User Guide

contains instructions on how to register and request elevated access. You can read the user guide

on our website at https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermont-judiciary/public-portal

For technical support regarding the Public Portal, please contact the Vermont Judiciary’s HelpDesk

at itsupport@vtcourts.gov When emailing, please write “Public Portal” in the subject line.

V. FILING OF EXHIBITS FOR EVIDENTIARY HEARING

Per the 2020 Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing, all electronically filed documents (including

exhibit lists and exhibits) must be submitted in PDF format. The Vermont Judiciary’s website

provides detailed instructions on how to submit exhibits for use at trials and other kinds of

evidentiary hearings. https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/FilersGuidetoExhibitsforHearings

VI. MISCELLANEOUS

a. Court Forms

Court forms are constantly being updated. Please refer to the judiciary website for the most up-to-date forms, https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/court-forms

Please use the link below to report any form question, concern or issue

http://www.vermontjudiciary.org/website-feedback-form or you can access our Website

Feedback program at the bottom of each web page.

b. Obligation under A.O. 41

Attorneys are reminded that an “attorney must report to the State Court Administrator within

thirty days any change of the office mailing or electronic mail address” and that “[n]otice sent to a

reported address is sufficient even if not received by the attorney because of failure to report the

proper address or failure of delivery not caused by the court.” A.O. 41, § 4(c). To update changes in

your contact information, please access your attorney account with the Attorney Portal

c. Receipt of Court Notices and Orders (eCabinet)

The Vermont courts send all court-issued documents (hearing notices, orders, etc.) to attorneys

by email using the email addresses registered in a system called eCabinet. Attorneys may register

up to three email addresses in the system and are responsible for keeping the information

updated. The email address(es) registered in eCabinet are not used for service of documents filed

by opposing parties, which is done through service contacts in Odyssey File & Serve.

To create an eCabinet account or update an existing account, attorneys must contact the

Judiciary helpdesk through one of the methods listed below. Please include your attorney bar

license number in your communication.

• Email itsupport@vtcourts.gov

• Telephone the Judiciary helpdesk at 802-828-4357

• Use the online form eCabinet Registration/Update (cognitoforms.com)

Updating information in the Attorney Portal or in eCabinet does not automatically notify the

other. It is your responsibility to update both. If you are a member of the Vermont Bar

Association, you will also need to separately notify the VBA.

d. Notice of Vacation

Attorneys may notify the superior courts of their vacation schedules by emailing

CentralClerkReview@vtcourts.gov. The information will be available to all trial courts, including

the Probate Division and the Judicial Bureau, for scheduling purposes. Attorneys do not need to

send notices separately to each county or division of the superior court.

If attorneys wish to also notify the Vermont Supreme Court of their vacation schedules, they

should copy supremecourt@vtcourts.gov on the email. Any questions, please

contact centralclerkreview@vtcourts.gov.