Law Office

                      Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, LLP

                            2600 One Commerce Square
                      Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7098
                                 (215) 564-8000


Direct Dial: (215) 564-8115


                                  May 14, 2003

Board of Trustees
Delaware VIP Trust
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094


         Re:      Legal Opinion-Securities Act of 1933
                  ------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  We have examined the Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the
"Agreement") of Delaware VIP Trust (the "Trust"), a series statutory trust
organized under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, and the By-Laws of the Trust,
all as amended to date, and the various pertinent corporate proceedings we deem
material. We have also examined the Notification of Registration and the
Registration Statements filed on behalf of the Trust under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act") and the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), all as amended to
date, as well as other items we deem material to this opinion.

                  The Trust is authorized by the Agreement to issue an unlimited
number of shares of beneficial interest without par value and currently issues
shares of Delaware VIP Balanced Series, Delaware VIP Capital Reserves Series,
Delaware VIP Cash Reserve Series, Delaware VIP Diversified Income Series,
Delaware VIP Emerging Markets Series, Delaware VIP Global Bond Series, Delaware
VIP Growth Opportunities Series, Delaware VIP High Yield Series, Delaware VIP
International Value Equity Series, Delaware VIP Large Cap Value Series, Delaware
VIP REIT Series, Delaware VIP Select Growth Series, Delaware VIP Small Cap Value
Series, Delaware VIP Social Awareness Series, Delaware VIP Trend Series and
Delaware VIP U.S. Growth Series of the Trust. The Agreement also empowers the
Board to designate any additional series or classes and allocate shares to such
series or classes.

                  The Trust has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, a registration statement under the Securities Act, which
registration statement is deemed to register an indefinite number of shares of
the Trust pursuant to the provisions of Section 24(f) of the Investment Company
Act. You have further advised us that the Trust has filed, and each year
hereafter will timely file, a Notice pursuant to Rule 24f-2 under the Investment
Company Act perfecting the registration of the shares sold by the series of the
Trust during each fiscal year during which such registration of an indefinite
number of shares remains in effect.



Delaware VIP Trust
May 14, 2003
Page 2


                  You have also informed us that the shares of the Trust have
been, and will continue to be, sold in accordance with the Trust's usual method
of distributing its registered shares, under which prospectuses are made
available for delivery to offerees and purchasers of such shares in accordance
with Section 5(b) of the Securities Act.

                  Based upon the foregoing information and examination, so long
as the Trust remains a valid and subsisting entity under the laws of its state
of organization, and the registration of an indefinite number of shares of the
Trust remains effective, the authorized shares of the Trust when issued for the
consideration set by the Board of Trustees pursuant to the Agreement, and
subject to compliance with Rule 24f-2, will be legally outstanding, fully-paid,
and non-assessable shares, and the holders of such shares will have all the
rights provided for with respect to such holding by the Agreement and the laws
of the State of Delaware.

                  We hereby consent to the use of this opinion, in lieu of any
other, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of the Trust, along with any
amendments thereto, covering the registration of the shares of the Trust under
the Securities Act and the applications, registration statements or notice
filings, and amendments thereto, filed in accordance with the securities laws of
the several states in which shares of the Trust are offered, and we further
consent to reference in the registration statement of the Trust to the fact that
this opinion concerning the legality of the issue has been rendered by us.

                                       Very truly yours,
                                       STRADLEY, RONON, STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP



                                       BY:  Bruce G. Leto
                                            ------------------------
                                            Bruce G. Leto, a Partner