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Vermont Pleading Paper Template

Vermont has no statewide rule fixing margins, font, or paper size for civil filings. The Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing require e-filed documents to be text-searchable PDFs, and V.R.C.P. Rule 10 governs the caption. Margins and font are local-court rules.

Introduction

Vermont does not use numbered-line pleading paper, and it has no single statewide rule fixing margins, font, or paper size for civil filings. The format requirement that most often controls whether a Vermont filing is accepted is electronic, not physical. Under the Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing, e-filed documents must be in the form of a text-searchable PDF (or PDF/A) and directly converted to PDF rather than scanned if possible, while any non-electronic document must be clearly legible. Electronic filing is mandatory statewide for represented parties: VREF Rule 3(a) requires all documents filed in the superior court or the judicial bureau to be electronically filed, and VREF Rule 3(d)(1) makes it permissive (opt-in) for self-represented litigants. The first-page caption is governed by V.R.C.P. Rule 10, which mirrors the federal Rule 10 caption (name of the court, title of the action, file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation). Beyond the PDF and caption rules, the physical specifications such as margin width, type size, and line spacing come from the rules of the specific court where you file, not from a statewide form rule. A filing that is scanned instead of text-searchable, or that ignores a local court's format requirement, can be rejected. This page is intentionally short and honest about what is statewide and what is local. DocDraft drafts your document on properly formatted Vermont court format from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    E-filed documents must be a text-searchable PDF or PDF/A and be directly converted to PDF rather than scanned if possible; non-electronic documents must be clearly legible (Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing).

  2. 2

    Electronic filing is mandatory for represented parties: VREF Rule 3(a) requires all documents filed in the superior court or the judicial bureau to be electronically filed.

  3. 3

    Electronic filing is permissive (opt-in) for self-represented litigants under VREF Rule 3(d)(1).

  4. 4

    The first-page caption is governed by V.R.C.P. Rule 10 (name of the court, title of the action, file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation).

  5. 5

    Vermont is not a numbered-line pleading-paper state, and no statewide rule fixes margins, font, or line spacing; those are set by the rules of the court where you file.

  6. 6

    No explicit statewide 8.5 by 11 inch paper-size rule appears in the V.R.C.P. or VREF, so confirm any paper requirement with the local court.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Pleading Paper in Vermont, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Pleading Paper guide walks through them.

Open the Pleading Paper guide

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STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT [UNIT, e.g. CIVIL DIVISION] [COUNTY] UNIT

[PLAINTIFF NAME], Plaintiff,

v. Docket No. [NUMBER]

[DEFENDANT NAME], Defendant.

[DOCUMENT TITLE, e.g. COMPLAINT]

[Caption per V.R.C.P. Rule 10: name of the court, title of the action, file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation.]

[Body: when e-filed, the document must be a text-searchable PDF or PDF/A, directly converted rather than scanned where possible (Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing). Margins, type size, and line spacing are set by the rules of the court where this document is filed, not by a statewide form rule.]

Dated at [CITY], Vermont, this [DAY] day of [MONTH], [YEAR].

[NAME], [ERN/Bar No. if attorney] [ADDRESS] [PHONE] / [EMAIL] Attorney for / Self-Represented [PARTY]

Vermont Requirements for Pleading Paper

Text-searchable PDF e-filing

E-filed documents must be a text-searchable PDF or PDF/A and directly converted to PDF rather than scanned where possible; non-electronic documents must be clearly legible (Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing).

Mandatory e-filing for represented parties

VREF Rule 3(a) requires all documents filed in the superior court or the judicial bureau to be electronically filed; VREF Rule 3(d)(1) makes it permissive for self-represented litigants.

Caption block

Head the first page per V.R.C.P. Rule 10 with the name of the court, the title of the action, the file number, and a Rule 7(a) designation.

Margins, font, and spacing are local

No statewide rule fixes margin width, type size, or line spacing; those are set by the rules of the specific court where you file, so confirm them before filing.

Paper size is local

No explicit statewide 8.5 by 11 inch paper-size rule appears in the V.R.C.P. or VREF; confirm any paper requirement with the local court.

Frequently Asked Questions

Under the Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing, e-filed documents must be a text-searchable PDF or PDF/A and directly converted to PDF rather than scanned where possible. VREF Rule 3(a) makes electronic filing mandatory for represented parties in the superior court and the judicial bureau.

No. Under VREF Rule 3(d)(1), electronic filing is permissive (opt-in) for self-represented litigants. Represented parties, by contrast, must e-file under VREF Rule 3(a) for documents filed in the superior court or the judicial bureau.

Vermont has no statewide rule fixing margin width, type size, or line spacing for civil filings. Those physical specifications are set by the rules of the specific court where you file, so check that court's requirements before filing.

No. Vermont does not use numbered-line pleading paper. The first-page caption is governed by V.R.C.P. Rule 10, and electronic filing format is governed by the Vermont Rules for Electronic Filing, but no statewide rule requires consecutive left-margin line numbers.