Vermont Estate Planning: Free Wills, Trusts & Calculators

Like all states, Vermont recognizes formally executed wills and living trusts as valid estate planning tools. A standard will here requires 2 adult witnesses, and adding a notarized self-proving affidavit can streamline the probate process later.

The state adopted the Uniform Power of Attorney Act in 2023, modernizing its rules around financial powers of attorney. Documents created before 2023 may not reflect the current law's protections.

If you die without a will in Vermont, your heirs must survive you by at least 120 hours to inherit anything. This "survival period" exists to prevent property from passing through multiple estates in quick succession when family members die close together in time, such as in an accident.

Unlike states with formal independent administration statutes (such as California and Texas), Vermont doesn't offer a simplified procedure for executors to petition for reduced court oversight. However, executors typically have statutory authority to manage routine estate matters. For families looking to avoid probate court involvement entirely, a revocable living trust remains the most reliable option.

Vermont imposes its own estate tax on estates exceeding $5,000,000, with a top rate of 16%. This is separate from the federal estate tax and applies at a much lower threshold—the federal exemption is $15,000,000. Families with estates near this threshold often use trusts and lifetime gifting to reduce exposure.

Vermont does not allow transfer-on-death deeds for real estate. Without this option, real property must pass through probate or be held in a trust to avoid court proceedings. Transferring property into a revocable trust does not trigger a property tax reassessment in Vermont, so property taxes remain at their current level.

Vermont provides a statutory homestead exemption protecting up to $125,000 in home equity from creditors. While not as strong as the constitutional protections in states like Texas or Florida, this still provides meaningful protection for the family home. Executors must publish a notice to creditors, who then have 4 months to file claims against the estate.

Vermont does not automatically revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary upon divorce. Without updating beneficiary designations after a divorce, an ex-spouse may still inherit life insurance proceeds and retirement accounts—regardless of what a will says.

Vermont authorizes remote online notarization (RON), allowing trusts, healthcare directives, powers of attorney to be notarized via video call from anywhere. However, wills are excluded from RON and still require in-person notarization.