Divorce in New Hampshire: Costs, Laws, and Calculators (2026)

Everything you need to understand the financial reality of divorce in New Hampshire. State-specific costs, formulas, and free calculators.

Our estimate, uncontested
$2,000 - $5,000
Our estimate, contested
$12,000 - $40,000
Estimated timeline
3 - 12 months
DCE State Score
64 / 100

New Hampshire divorces typically cost 34% less than the national average of $12,900.

Our copy states a New Hampshire alimony calculation nobody here has opened, and the state requires a residency period among the longest in the country.

New Hampshire is an equitable distribution state and uses the Income Shares model for child support. What our copy says sets it apart is alimony: our record puts New Hampshire on a calculation tied to the income difference between spouses rather than on open judicial discretion, which if right would make support amounts more predictable here. Nothing behind that has been read, because gencourt.state.nh.us returned 403 and the host without the www closed the connection, so treat the shape as our copy and the rate as ours too. There is no waiting period, but a residency requirement of 365 days applies before filing, which is among the longest in the country. Attorney rates run $225 to $425 per hour, and a contested case $12,000 to $40,000.

What this section says about New Hampshire's property system is a characterisation this site carries rather than a finding. That is our own record rather than New Hampshire's own law.

Key Fact

Our copy states term alimony in New Hampshire at 23 percent of the difference between the parties' adjusted gross incomes, with duration at about half the length of the marriage. That 23 percent is our figure rather than New Hampshire's stated rate, our own two pages disagree about whether the base is gross or adjusted gross, and our estimate does not use it either way.

Recent Development

Our records still put New Hampshire on a calculation rather than on open-ended judicial discretion, tying the amount to the income gap between spouses. Nothing in that has been checked against the state's own law, so treat the predictability it implies as a property of our record rather than of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Divorce Quick Facts

State law, attorney rates, and procedural rules for New Hampshire.

Property division system, in our record
Equitable Distribution (judicial discretion)
How alimony is decided, in our record
Statutory formula
Child support formula, in our record
Income Shares Model
Mandatory waiting period
None
Residency requirement
365 days
Mediation required, in our record
No
Equal parenting presumption, in our record
No
Fault divorce available, in our record
Yes
Collaborative divorce available
Yes, and our record says the same for all fifty states
Filing fee range
$250
Attorney hourly rates, our estimate
$225 - $425/hour
Filing fee last checked
Not independently verified

Where these New Hampshire figures come from, since it is fair to ask. The court filing fee is the one we have gone back to, and even there we are recording what a fee schedule says rather than citing a document we have opened. Everything else on this page that is a cost or a length of time - attorney rates, the mediator's per-session rate, QDRO preparation, the average totals, the typical number of months - came into our data when the site was first built, and nobody has checked any of it against a published source since. Our own value distributions give the game away: attorney rates across all fifty states take seven distinct values at the low end, every one of them a multiple of 25, which is what a set of estimates looks like rather than fifty separate readings. We think they are in the right neighbourhood. We are not going to call them New Hampshire averages. For a real number, a New Hampshire family law attorney will quote you their own rate, and the clerk of court in your county will tell you the filing fee to the dollar.

The waiting period and the residency requirement in that table are in the same position, and they matter more, because a wrong number there is a filing in the wrong place rather than a bad estimate. Both came into our data at the original build and nobody here has read New Hampshire's dissolution statute. Confirm both with the clerk of court in the county where you will file, and ask specifically whether the wait runs from the day you file or from a separation date, because states do it both ways and our records hold one number for both cases.

DCE State Score Breakdown

Our proprietary index ranks every state on cost, complexity, and timeline. Higher is more favorable.

Overall DCE State Score

64/ 100

A score of 64 means New Hampshire is roughly average in terms of divorce cost and complexity.

Cost Score

25/ 40

Based on filing fees, attorney rates, and total typical costs in New Hampshire.

Complexity Score

25/ 30

Reflects judicial discretion, mandatory mediation, and procedural hurdles.

Timeline Score

14/ 30

Driven by waiting periods and average case duration from filing to decree.

Divorce Calculators for New Hampshire

All 15 calculators preconfigured for New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Divorce Laws Overview

Property Division

Our record has New Hampshire as an equitable distribution state. That is our own record rather than New Hampshire's own property division law. Equitable does not mean equal, it means fair, based on the circumstances. Judges consider factors including each spouse's income and earning capacity, contributions to the marriage, length of the marriage, and the economic circumstances of each spouse. Outcomes can vary significantly from case to case.

Spousal Support (Alimony)

Our record puts New Hampshire among the states that write a spousal support formula into the statute, which makes awards more predictable than in a purely discretionary state. Formulas of this kind generally work from the income difference between spouses and the length of the marriage. We have not read New Hampshire's statute, so we are not reproducing its calculation here, and the estimate on our alimony calculator is a national approximation rather than that formula.

Child Support

Our record puts New Hampshire among the Income Shares Model states, and nobody here has read New Hampshire's own guideline to check it. In that model both parents' incomes are combined, a total support obligation is set from that combined figure and the number of children, and each parent's share is proportional to their share of the combined income. The paying parent pays their share to the receiving parent.

Custody and Parenting Time

New Hampshire courts determine custody on the best interests of the child. Our record carries no presumption of equal parenting time for the state and puts judicial discretion here in the middle of its three-point scale. That is our own record rather than New Hampshire's own custody law. Courts generally favor arrangements that allow both parents meaningful involvement in the child's life.

This estimate is for planning purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult a licensed family law attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a divorce cost in New Hampshire?
Our working estimate is $2,000 - $5,000 for an uncontested New Hampshire divorce and $12,000 - $40,000 for a contested one, with the spread depending on attorney involvement, custody disputes, and the complexity of the marital estate. Court filing fees alone are $250. Both totals are ours rather than measured averages: they came into our data when this site was built and no survey stands behind them.
How long does a divorce take in New Hampshire?
Our records show no mandatory wait in New Hampshire, an uncontested case at roughly 3 months, and a contested one at about 12. Treat all three as ours rather than as findings: we have not read New Hampshire's dissolution statute or its court caseload statistics. The clerk of court in the county where you will file can confirm the wait, and whether it runs from filing or from a separation date, which differs by state.
How is property divided in New Hampshire?
Our record has New Hampshire as an equitable distribution state. That is our own record rather than New Hampshire's own property division law. Equitable does not mean equal, it means fair, based on the circumstances. Judges consider factors including each spouse's income and earning capacity, contributions to the marriage, length of the marriage, and the economic circumstances of each spouse. Outcomes can vary significantly from case to case.
How is child support calculated in New Hampshire?
Our record puts New Hampshire among the Income Shares Model states, and nobody here has read New Hampshire's own guideline to check it. In that model both parents' incomes are combined, a total support obligation is set from that combined figure and the number of children, and each parent's share is proportional to their share of the combined income. The paying parent pays their share to the receiving parent.
How is alimony determined in New Hampshire?
Our record puts New Hampshire among the states that write a spousal support formula into the statute, which makes awards more predictable than in a purely discretionary state. Formulas of this kind generally work from the income difference between spouses and the length of the marriage. We have not read New Hampshire's statute, so we are not reproducing its calculation here, and the estimate on our alimony calculator is a national approximation rather than that formula.

Divorce Costs in Nearby States

See all 50 states for complete cost breakdowns and calculators.