Vermont Parentage

It is the policy of this State that the legal rights, privileges, duties, and obligations of parents be established for the benefit of all children, regardless of whether the child is born during marriage or out of wedlock. Parentage may be decided voluntarily by the parents of the child by filling out and signing a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage Form. Family Court may also decide parentage after it has held a hearing or by the Court's approval of a Stipulation of the parties via an order of the Court. This order may also include provisions relating to the obligations of parentage, including future child support, visitation and custody. The Court may even require, upon motion of a party, that the Defendant or Defendants, and any acknowledged parent submit to appropriate genetic testing for the determination of parentage. It should be noted that a person alleged to be a parent shall be rebuttably presumed to be the parent of the child if the alleged parent falls within certain statutory provisions.