Adult Guardianship Periodic Reporting Requirements in Vermont
At a glance
| Covered guardian and report types | Adult guardian: annual condition/duties report; guardian with estate authority: inventory, annual financial accounting and final account (§§ 2791, 2921, 3076; V.R.P.P. 66). |
|---|---|
| First plan, inventory or account | Guardian with estate inventories property when required, within 30 days after appointment; court may extend for good cause (§ 2791; V.R.P.P. 66(a)(1)). |
| Repeat interval and due date | Annual report due within 30 days after appointment anniversary; estate account within first year and annually thereafter (§§ 2921, 3076(a)). |
| Condition and care-plan content | Annual report covers progress, condition, health, care, residence, education, employment, habilitation, powers exercised and continued need (§ 3076(b)(2)–(4)). |
| Property and accounting content | Financial accounting for guardian with income/resource authority; estate account shows proceeds and spending; Rule 66 accounts show opening/closing values and transactions (§§ 2921, 3076(b)(1); V.R.P.P. 66(d)). |
| Oath and required attachments | Rule 66 permits allowance of a verified account without hearing if unopposed; accounting form may be court-directed (V.R.P.P. 66(d), (g)). |
| Who receives or may inspect the report | Inventory/account copies to parties entitled to notice; court sends adult and counsel annual notice with report/account copies, subject to counsel-only exception (§ 3078; V.R.P.P. 66(a), (c)). |
| Court review and late filing | Late or missing annual report is ground for termination/modification motion; annual accounting generally accompanied by allowance motion; unopposed verified account may be allowed without hearing (§ 3077(a)(2); V.R.P.P. 66(f)–(g)). |
| Final or change-triggered report | At termination, financially empowered guardian renders final account; accounting/closing powers can continue after adult's death for statutory period (§§ 2921, 3076(c), 3077(e)). |
Requirements one by one
The annual report
Under § 3076(a), the report is due within 30 days after the appointment anniversary. Section 3076(b) requires the adult's progress and condition, including health, medical and dental care, residence, education, employment and habilitation; it also covers the guardian's work and opinion about continued need.
Property inventory and accounts
Section 2791 requires an inventory when the adult has an estate, and Probate Rule 66(a)(1) gives the guardian 30 days after appointment to file it, subject to a good-cause extension. The inventory includes jointly owned property and beneficial interests under Rule 66(b)(2). Section 2921 requires a guardian of an adult with real or personal estate to account within the first year and annually thereafter. Rule 66(d) calls for beginning value, transactions and ending value.
What trips people up
The financial-accounting cross reference in § 3076(b)(1) and (c) points to § 3069(c)(4), although current § 3069(c)(3) describes supervision of income and resources and (c)(4) concerns contracts. Check the actual powers in the appointment order when preparing the financial portion. A missing or late annual report is a stated ground for a termination or modification motion under § 3077(a)(2); under § 3077(b), the court acts after notice and hearing. Under § 3076(d), ordinary fee payment and expense reimbursement from the adult's estate wait until required reports or final accounts are filed, subject to its motion procedure.
Common questions
Who sends the adult a copy?
Under § 3078, the court sends annual notice with copies of filed reports and accounts to the adult and counsel. If the court finds it in the adult's best interests and counsel appears, it may send the filings to counsel only. Rule 66(c) separately requires service of account copies on those entitled to notice.
Is an account due at the end?
Yes, for a guardian with financial authority under § 3076(c) and § 2921. Under § 3077(e), specified accounting and closing powers continue for up to two years after the adult's death or until an estate representative is appointed.
Statutes and sources
- 14 V.S.A. ch. 111: §§ 2791, 2921, 3069, 3076–3078; accessed 2026-10-04.
- Vermont Rule of Probate Procedure 66, 2023 amendment; accessed 2026-10-04.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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