Vermont Statutes Title 15 Sec. 594
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 15 Sec. 594
- Chambers: A judge's office.
- Court: means the court with jurisdiction over the proceeding. See
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
- Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
- Support: means periodic payments ordered for the support of dependent children or, for the purposes of sections 783-790 of this title only, a spouse. See
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
§ 594. Representation and testimony of child
(a) The court may appoint an attorney to represent the interests of a minor or dependent child with respect to child support and the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities.
(b) The court shall appoint an attorney for a minor child before the minor child is called as a witness in a proceeding under this chapter. The child may only be called as a witness if the court finds after hearing that:
(1) the child’s testimony is necessary to assist the court in determining the issue before it;
(2) the probative value of the child’s testimony outweighs the potential detriment to the child; and
(3) the evidence sought is not reasonably available by any other means.
(c) The examination of the child may be conducted by the court in chambers in the presence of such other persons as the court may specify and shall be recorded by a court reporter.
(d) The court shall enter an order for costs, fees, and disbursements in favor of the child’s attorney. The order shall be made against either or both parents, except that, if the responsible party is indigent, the costs, fees, and disbursements shall be borne as provided by rule of court. (1971, No. 238 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 6, 1972; amended 1985, No. 181 (Adj. Sess.), § 9.)