The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 15C: Parentage Proceedings

Chapter 002: Establishment of Parentage

• § 201. Recognized parents

  A person may establish parentage by any of the following:

  (1) Birth. Giving birth to the child, except as otherwise provided in chapter 8 of this title.

  (2) Adoption. Adoption of the child pursuant to Title 15A.

  (3) Acknowledgment. An effective voluntary acknowledgment of parentage under chapter 3 of this title.

  (4) Adjudication. An adjudication based on an admission of parentage under section 112 of this title.

  (5) Presumption. An unrebutted presumption of parentage under chapter 4 of this title.

  (6) De facto parentage. An adjudication of de facto parentage under chapter 5 of this title.

  (7) Genetic parentage. An adjudication of genetic parentage under chapter 6 of this title.

  (8) Assisted reproduction. Consent to assisted reproduction under chapter 7 of this title.

  (9) Gestational carrier agreement. Consent to a gestational carrier agreement by the intended parent or parents under chapter 8 of this title. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 202. Nondiscrimination

  Every child has the same rights under law as any other child without regard to the marital status or gender of the parents or the circumstances of the birth of the child. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 203. Consequences of establishment of parentage

  Unless parentage has been terminated by a court order or an exception has been stated explicitly in this title, parentage established under this title applies for all purposes, including the rights and duties of parentage under the law. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 204. Determination of maternity and paternity

  Provisions of this title relating to determination of paternity may apply to determination of maternity as needed to determine parentage consistent with this title. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 205. No limitation on child

  Nothing in this chapter limits the right of a child to bring an action to adjudicate parentage. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 206. Adjudicating competing claims of parentage

  (a) Competing claims of parentage. Except as otherwise provided in section 616 of this title, in a proceeding to adjudicate competing claims of parentage or challenges to a child’s parentage by two or more persons, the court shall adjudicate parentage in the best interests of the child, based on the following factors:

  (1) the age of the child;

  (2) the length of time during which each person assumed the role of parent of the child;

  (3) the nature of the relationship between the child and each person;

  (4) the harm to the child if the relationship between the child and each person is not recognized;

  (5) the basis for each person’s claim to parentage of the child; and

  (6) other equitable factors arising from the disruption of the relationship between the child and each person or the likelihood of other harm to the child.

  (b) Preservation of parent-child relationship. Consistent with the establishment of parentage under this chapter, a court may determine that a child has more than two parents if the court finds that it is in the best interests of the child to do so. A finding of best interests of the child under this subsection does not require a finding of unfitness of any parent or person seeking an adjudication of parentage. A determination of best interests may include consideration of evidence of prebirth intent to parent the child. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2023, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. July 1, 2024.)