Title 04, Title 04: Judiciary

§ 461. Office of magistrate; jurisdiction; selection; term (a) The office of magistrate is created within the Family Division of the Superior Court. Except as provided in section 463 of this title, the office of magistrate shall have nonexclusive jurisdiction to hear and dispose …

§ 461a. Essex County; powers of assistant judges and magistrates in Family Court proceedings (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an assistant judge of Essex County who has satisfactorily completed the training provided by the Vermont Supreme Court purs…

§ 461c. Powers of assistant judges in divorce proceedings (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an assistant judge may elect to hear and determine a complaint or action that seeks a divorce, legal separation, or civil union dissolution in cases where a f…

§ 462. Findings; orders; stipulations (a) The magistrate shall make findings of fact, conclusions, and a decision and shall issue an order. An order issued by a magistrate may be enforced by the Family Division of the Superior Court in the unit in which the magistrate hearing was…

§ 463. Jurisdiction of Family Division of Superior Court over child support Upon motion of either party, upon motion of the magistrate, or upon the court’s own motion, a judge of the Family Division of the Superior Court may hear and determine the issue of child support, provided…

§ 464. Representation (a) Any person or other legal entity, including the State, shall be entitled but not required to be represented by an attorney before a magistrate. Nonattorney employees of the Office of Child Support who have been duly qualified by the Office of Child Suppo…

§ 465. Appeals An appeal from a decision of a magistrate shall be on the record to the Family Division of the Superior Court. At the request of a party, the Family Court shall hear additional evidence. (Added 1989, No. 221 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1990; amended 2009, No. 1…

§ 466. Procedure (a) A proceeding before a magistrate shall, in cases involving child support, be initiated by the filing of a petition. If a proceeding for divorce, annulment, or separation has been commenced before the Family Division of the Superior Court, the magistrate shall…

§ 467. Forms; Office of Child Support; IV-D services (a) The Court Administrator shall prepare and make available to the public forms for proceeding before a magistrate, including forms for the filing of an action, responding to a petition and filing motions. The purpose of the s…