How to change child support in Vermont
When a change is allowed, how to ask the agency or the court, and a free letter to ask for a review.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.
Short answer
To modify an order means to change the amount by a new order. You must show a real, substantial and unanticipated change of circumstances. A guideline amount that differs by more than 10% from the current order counts, as do workers' compensation, disability or means-tested benefits, unemployment (unless it was planned for in the order), and incarceration over 90 days (unless it is for not paying support).
- Agency review
- Every 3 years if a parent asks (federal law)
When you can ask for a change in Vermont
You must show a real, substantial and unanticipated change of circumstances. A guideline amount that differs by more than 10% from the current order counts, as do workers' compensation, disability or means-tested benefits, unemployment (unless it was planned for in the order), and incarceration over 90 days (unless it is for not paying support). If the order has not been changed by the court for at least 3 years, the court may waive the change-of-circumstances requirement. Changes apply only to payments due after the motion is filed.
Law: 15 V.S.A. 660
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
How a change is made in Vermont
File a Motion to Modify Child Support with an affidavit and your calculations in the Family Division, or ask OCS to help with the forms. If both parents agree, you can file a completed child support order and both income and asset affidavits.
Write to the child support agency to ask for a review: Ask the agency to review (change) your order
New rules in Vermont
New guideline calculation tables took effect Jan. 2, 2024, based on the 2023 guidelines review. The self-support reserve is updated each year ($1,596 a month from Feb. 2, 2026).
If a parent is in jail or prison
State guidelines may not treat time in jail or prison as choosing not to work, when support is set or changed.
Law: 45 CFR 302.56(c)(3)
In nearby states
What to do now in Vermont
Get the order
Note the date it was made or last changed and the amount.
Compare with the rule
The rule in Vermont: You must show a real, substantial and unanticipated change of circumstances.
Show the change
Pay stubs, a job loss letter or proof of new costs show what changed.
Ask the agency or the court
Ask for a review with Office of Child Support (OCS), Vermont Department for Children and Families (1-800-786-3214) · Apply online
Ask for free help
Ask for free help: Vermont Legal Help (VTLawHelp.org) and Vermont Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service.
Free legal help in Vermont
Questions about changing support in Vermont
How often can I ask for a change in Vermont?
You must show a real, substantial and unanticipated change of circumstances. A guideline amount that differs by more than 10% from the current order counts, as do workers' compensation, disability or means-tested benefits, unemployment (unless it was planned for in the order), and incarceration over 90 days (unless it is for not paying support). If the order has not been changed by the court for at least 3 years, the court may waive the change-of-circumstances requirement. Changes apply only to payments due after the motion is filed.
How do I request a review in Vermont?
File a Motion to Modify Child Support with an affidavit and your calculations in the Family Division, or ask OCS to help with the forms. If both parents agree, you can file a completed child support order and both income and asset affidavits.