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Money disputes up to $5,000 are settled in the Franklin County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Franklin County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
These cases are heard at the single courthouse below. Franklin County confirms the venue from the defendant's address or where the events happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
Franklin County covers 19 ZIP codes, including the Bakersfield, Cambridge and East Berkshire areas. About 51,066 people live in Franklin County.
This court works from paper filings, delivered in person or posted in. Squabble builds the packet so nothing is missing.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Residents of Franklin County, Vermont, which has a population of 51,066, can file small claims cases through the Vermont Small Claims Court, which handles claims up to $5,000. Cases are heard at Franklin County Court, located at 36 Lake St in St Albans City, 05478. The court office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached by phone at (802) 524-7997, and additional information is posted at https://bgs.vermont.gov/facilities/facilitiesbydistrict. Electronic filing is not available, so filings are handled in paper form. The county covers communities including Swanton, Richford, Enosburg Falls, Fairfax, Sheldon, Montgomery, Highgate Center, and Saint Albans, along with ZIP codes such as 05441, 05450, 05476, 05485, and 05488. Franklin County lies near Grand Isle County, Lamoille County, and Chittenden County. The small claims process in this county operates within the Vermont Small Claims Court system, and the claim limit of $5,000 applies to cases brought there.
Franklin County covers these 19 towns and cities:
Bakersfield, Cambridge, East Berkshire, East Fairfield, Enosburg Falls, Essex Junction, Fairfax, Fairfield, Franklin, Highgate Center, Highgate Springs, Montgomery, Montgomery Center, Richford, Saint Albans, Saint Albans Bay, Sheldon, Sheldon Springs, Swanton.
ZIP codes:
Of Vermont's 14 counties, Franklin County is 5th by population at roughly 51,066 people. From St Albans City, Franklin County Court is roughly 5 miles from the Grand Isle County courthouse in North Hero and 12 miles from the Chittenden County courthouse in Burlington.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
Lawyers are allowed at a Vermont hearing but are not needed. The procedure is written for self-representation.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? Either bring the figure down to the maximum and remain in small claims, or file the whole amount in the regular civil court. The amount given up is usually gone for good.
These are the limits for Franklin County, population about 51,066. They are the same across all 19 Franklin County ZIP codes, from 05441 onward.
If someone owes you money, up to $5,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Franklin County takes in Bakersfield, Cambridge and East Berkshire and the rest of the county. Franklin County has about 51,066 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Fill in the claim, pick the courthouse that covers the dispute, and pay what the court charges.
The defendant receives the papers through formal service and can reply or negotiate an end to it.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
Franklin County Court publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Franklin County Court lists (802) 524-7997 as its number.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand.
Who may serve depends on the court: law enforcement, a paid process server, the clerk by certified mail, or a disinterested adult. Costs and rules are local.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set.
The person who delivered the papers signs a proof of service. That document goes to the court ahead of the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Franklin County address carries one of its 19 ZIP codes, 05441, 05444 and 05447 among them. Grand Isle County and Lamoille County are the counties nearest to Franklin County.
The law fixes how long you have, counted from the dispute itself. A case brought later can be refused outright.
| Kind of claim | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in Franklin County as in nearby Grand Isle County and Lamoille County, which are in the same state. Franklin County, population about 51,066, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Vermont generally accrues interest at 12% per year before judgment (9 V.S.A. §41a; Vt. R. Civ. P. 54).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
The rate above is the one for Franklin County, population about 51,066. Franklin County is under the same state rate as nearby Grand Isle County and Lamoille County.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the Franklin County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $50–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
Bakersfield, Cambridge and East Berkshire are among the places in Franklin County that filings come from. Franklin County takes in filings from 19 ZIP codes, 05441 first in the list.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Franklin County has about 51,066 residents. Hearings in Franklin County cases are listed at Franklin County Court in St Albans City.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
There is also an examination procedure: the debtor is ordered to attend and give sworn answers about earnings and assets. Interest normally accrues at the statutory rate until payment.
Grand Isle County and Lamoille County are the counties nearest to Franklin County. Bakersfield, Cambridge and East Berkshire are among the Franklin County places a judgment debtor may live in.
Information reviewed August 2026. Courts change fees, limits and procedures, so check the current details before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Franklin County case for you.
