Reviewed August 2026
Cost and Filing Fees in New Hampshire
You file for divorce in New Hampshire in the Circuit Court Family Division. The court's official filing fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025, sets the fee at $280 for an original divorce petition without minor children and $282 for a divorce involving minor children or parenting matters. Both figures are 'total fees': they already include the base filing fee plus the surcharges the Supreme Court and state statutes authorize on top of it. If you can't afford that amount, you can file a written or electronic request asking the court to accept a lower fee or waive it. The Judicial Branch calls this process 'pay a lower fee or file for free.' Beyond the filing fee, the other real costs in a New Hampshire divorce come from a 3 percent card-processing surcharge on electronic filings, the required Child Impact Program for parents with minor children, and how contested the case turns out to be.
Virdix's document-preparation product currently prepares divorce paperwork for California and Florida cases. This page explains how cost and filing fees works under New Hampshire law for people researching before they file. It is not legal advice, and Virdix does not prepare or file New Hampshire paperwork. See how Virdix works for California divorces.
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Circuit court filing fee
New Hampshire's Family Division fee schedule lists 'Original Entry of All Divorce Matters without Minor Children, including cross-petitions, and Registration of Foreign Decree' at $280.00. It lists 'Original Entry of All Divorce Matters with Minor Children or Parenting Matters, including cross petitions, and Registration of Foreign Decree' at $282.00. These are the current amounts on the Judicial Branch's fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025. The schedule also lists related charges you might need later, such as a $40 certified copy of a divorce decree or a $10 Vital Statistics divorce certificate. It notes that the total fee includes the base filing fee plus any surcharges the Supreme Court or New Hampshire statutes authorize, so check the current published schedule instead of assuming the amount stays fixed.
Asking to pay less or file for free
New Hampshire doesn't use the term 'fee waiver' as a form name. The Judicial Branch instead describes the process as asking the court 'to pay less or file for free.' If you can't afford the fee, you submit a written or electronic request on the motion form the court provides, and in most cases you must also attach a financial statement describing your income, expenses, and assets. File this request at the same time as your divorce petition so it doesn't delay the start of your case. The court's information center can help you find the correct form.
Electronic filing and card payment surcharges
As of September 3, 2025, a New Hampshire Supreme Court order added a 3 percent processing fee to every electronic court transaction paid by credit or debit card through the File & Serve or TurboCourt e-filing platforms. The vendors that handle those electronic payments charge that fee. The same 3 percent surcharge applies to credit card payments made in person at a courthouse clerk's window or by phone through a point-of-sale terminal; the state's banking contractor assesses that charge. Debit card payments at a courthouse POS terminal don't carry that surcharge. Paying by cash, check, or money order avoids the card-processing surcharge entirely.
Child Impact Program for parents with minor children
Parents going through a divorce or parenting case involving minor children in New Hampshire generally must complete the Child Impact Program before the case can move forward. The Judicial Branch's program page says the program's cost goes directly to the outside provider running it, not to the court, and program materials have listed the cost at $85.00 per parent. A parent who can't afford the program fee can ask the provider about a reduced-cost option. Skipping the program without an approved alternative can delay the case.
What makes a New Hampshire divorce cost more
The filing fee, program fee, and any card-processing surcharge cover the basic cost of an uncontested case, where both spouses agree on property division, parenting arrangements, and support. A contested case costs more. It can require additional motions, discovery, mediation beyond what the court's basic program provides, appraisals of real estate, retirement accounts, or a business, and multiple hearings before a Family Division judge or marital master. Disputes over parenting time or property division are the most common reasons a case grows more expensive than the base filing and program fees.
Sources: NH Judicial Branch: Circuit Court Filing Fees (Family Division fee schedule, effective 07/01/2025) [archived], NH Judicial Branch: Forms and Fees (e-filing/card surcharge notice) [archived], NH Judicial Branch: Child Impact Program [archived], NH Judicial Branch: How to File a Divorce Petition [archived]
Not independently confirmed
- Whether the courts.nh.gov live site currently shows a different Child Impact Program price than the $85.00 figure from program materials reviewed
- Statutory sheriff service-of-process fee amount
- Exact name/number of the motion form used to request a lower fee or fee-free filing
Cost and Filing Fees in New Hampshire: frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file for divorce in New Hampshire?+
The Circuit Court Family Division's fee schedule, effective July 1, 2025, lists the fee for an original divorce petition at $280 without minor children and $282 with minor children or parenting matters. These totals already include the base filing fee plus authorized surcharges. Check the current amount on the Judicial Branch's published fee schedule before filing, since the schedule gets updated periodically.
What if I can't afford the New Hampshire filing fee?+
Ask the court to let you pay a lower fee or file for free by submitting a written or electronic request, usually with a motion form and a financial statement describing your income, expenses, and assets. File this request at the same time as your divorce petition so it doesn't delay your case. The court's information center can help you find the right form.
Does New Hampshire charge extra for e-filing or paying by credit card?+
Yes. As of September 3, 2025, a New Hampshire Supreme Court order added a 3 percent processing fee to credit or debit card payments made through the File & Serve or TurboCourt e-filing platforms. The same 3 percent surcharge applies to credit card payments at a courthouse clerk's window or by phone. Debit card payments at a courthouse terminal, and payments by cash, check, or money order, avoid that surcharge.
Is the Child Impact Program required and how much does it cost?+
Parents with minor children going through a New Hampshire divorce or parenting case generally must complete the Child Impact Program before the case can move forward. The cost goes to the outside provider running the program, and program materials have listed it at $85.00 per parent. A parent who can't afford it can ask the provider about a reduced fee.
Does the New Hampshire filing fee cover getting a copy of my final decree?+
No. The filing fee only covers filing the case. A certified copy of the decree and related documents, like a QDRO or Uniform Support Order, carries a separate $40 fee on the Family Division fee schedule, and a Vital Statistics certified divorce certificate costs a separate $10. Budget for these separately if you'll need certified copies after your case closes.
What makes a New Hampshire divorce cost more than the filing fee?+
Contested cases cost more. Disputes over parenting time, property division, or support can require additional motions, discovery, appraisals of real estate or retirement accounts, mediation beyond the court's basic services, and multiple hearings before a judge or marital master. An uncontested case, where both spouses agree, keeps costs close to the filing fee and Child Impact Program fee.
This page is general information about cost and filing fees in New Hampshire, not legal advice for your situation. Laws, fees, and procedures change over time; confirm current details with New Hampshire's own courts before relying on anything here. Virdix is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law in New Hampshire. Virdix does not prepare or file New Hampshire divorce paperwork. It is not a substitute for an attorney licensed in New Hampshire.
More New Hampshire divorce guides
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