DRM Family Law Group: Child Custody Attorneys Serving Vermont and Upstate New York

The experienced, dedicated divorce attorneys at Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC can help you successfully navigate the legal issues and other challenges involved in child custody in Vermont. We also handle custody and other family law matters in Clinton, Essex and Warren counties in New York.

Knowing what to expect in the course of a legal matter can help ease your stress. When you entrust your case to us, we strive to keep you fully informed about the status of your case and to make sure you know which steps will follow.

To help you get the process started, we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your options with regard to divorce or separation, civil union dissolution and other family law matters including child custody and child support. To assist you further, we provide an optional checklist that can help you get the most from your initial consultation, and we’ve provided a link to the state of Vermont’s judiciary website and child-support calculator tool.

To schedule a free initial consultation, contact Amber Barber or Caryn Waxman, co-chairs of the DRM Family Law Group.

Child Custody in Vermont




In Vermont, custody is referred to as "parental rights and responsibilities." Parental rights and responsibilities are divided into two categories:




• Legal rights and responsibilities means the right to make decisions regarding major events in a child's life, such as elective surgery, religion and schooling.
• Physical rights and responsibilities refers to the place at which the child primarily resides.



Legal and physical rights and responsibilities may be assigned in a number of ways. For example:




• A parent may have sole legal and physical responsibility.
• A parent may have shared legal and sole physical rights and responsibilities.
• The parents may share both legal and physical rights and responsibilities.
• The parents may share physical rights and responsibilities, while one parent retains legal rights and responsibilities.

Child custody is a critical aspect of divorce that needs the caring, responsive attention of experienced lawyers who are well-versed and up-to-date on child custody laws.

Whether your goal is to obtain sole or shared custody, whether you need to iron out a few wrinkles or are prepared to engage in a contentious custody battle, our team will work with you to develop a strategy that is most likely to achieve a positive result.

We will guide you through each step as we implement the strategy. Our goal always is to consider the best interests and well-being of the child as we advise our clients about custody rights and laws.

Contact Us

To schedule a free initial consultation, contact Amber Barber or Caryn Waxman co-chairs of the DRM Family Law Group. Both have practiced family law exclusively for more than a dozen years and are regularly invited to address lawyers and other professionals on divorce matters, related complex financial issues and other family law topics.