The court has rules about how to determine child support. The Office of Child Support website and the VTLawHelp.org website explain how child support is calculated in Vermont.  Here are some of the basic resources available online:

• Child Support: This explains in simple language, how child support works in Vermont.
• Office of Child Support’s Parents Page: Information about OCS services for parents and the Child Support Guideline Calcluator
• Information about Child Support from the Vermont Judiciary

What if the other parent doesn’t live in the same state or country?

All states have passed the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). This law lets courts in different states cooperate with each other. It explains what happens when the parents live in different states. The laws of the state where the child support order is issued determine the rules about collection and enforcement. 

Interstate cases can be complex and cause confusion. You can contact Vermont Office of Child Support about “registering” an out-of-state child support order.  Then you can seek DHHS help with changing or enforcing the order.  Depending on the country, DHHS may also be able to help you with parentage and child support issues if the other parent lives in another country.

What if a parent doesn’t pay child support?

VTLawHelp.org posts information about enforcing child support.

You can also get help enforcing a child support order from the Vermont Office of Child support. 

If you do not want to apply for OCS services, you can represent yourself.  The Vermont Family Court has forms you can use to file a motion to enforce child support and information about the process.  There is also a program online called CourtFormPrep that will help you fill out the forms needed to start a child support case, to change a child support order or to enforce a child support order.