Divorce in North Dakota: Costs, Laws, and Calculators (2026)

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

Our estimate, uncontested
$1,200 - $3,500
Our estimate, contested
$8,000 - $25,000
Estimated timeline
3 - 9 months
DCE State Score
70 / 100

North Dakota divorces typically cost 55% less than the national average of $12,900.

North Dakota's court filing fee is on the low end nationally and it imposes no waiting period after filing.

North Dakota is an equitable distribution state. Its court filing fee is $160, which is on the low end nationally, and there is no statutory waiting period after filing. Child support is read off a published dollar schedule keyed to the paying parent's monthly net income rather than worked out as a percentage of it, which is worth knowing because a great many summaries say otherwise. Both fault and no-fault grounds are available, attorney rates run $175 to $325 per hour, and a contested case $8,000 to $25,000.

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

Key Fact

North Dakota's court filing fee is $160, and its child support guideline is a dollar schedule stepping in $100 increments of the paying parent's monthly net income.

Recent Development

North Dakota continues to set child support from the paying parent's income alone rather than from both parents' combined, and to keep both fault and no-fault grounds available. Two dates on the guidelines are worth keeping apart: the chapter was amended effective July 1, 2023, but § 75-02-04.1-10, the schedule that carries the dollar figures, has stood since January 1, 2019. The 2023 changes reached the definitions, imputation and the grounds for departing from the guideline amount, and left the table alone.

North Dakota Divorce Quick Facts

State law, attorney rates, and procedural rules for North Dakota.

Property division system, in our record
Equitable Distribution (judicial discretion)
How alimony is decided, in our record
Judicial discretion
Child support formula
Published Schedule on the Paying Parent's Income
Mandatory waiting period
None
Residency requirement
180 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
$160
Attorney hourly rates, our estimate
$175 - $325/hour
Filing fee last checked
May 30, 2026

Where these North Dakota 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 North Dakota averages. For a real number, a North Dakota 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 North Dakota'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

70/ 100

A score of 70 means North Dakota is more favorable than average in terms of divorce cost and complexity.

Cost Score

30/ 40

Based on filing fees, attorney rates, and total typical costs in North Dakota.

Complexity Score

24/ 30

Reflects judicial discretion, mandatory mediation, and procedural hurdles.

Timeline Score

16/ 30

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

Divorce Calculators for North Dakota

All 15 calculators preconfigured for North Dakota.

North Dakota Divorce Laws Overview

Property Division

Our record has North Dakota as an equitable distribution state. That is our own record rather than North Dakota'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)

North Dakota judges have broad discretion in setting alimony awards, and our record carries no statutory formula for the state. The factors it lists are: length of the marriage, each spouse's earning capacity, standard of living during the marriage, financial resources of each spouse. Those came into our data at the original build rather than from a reading of the statute. Outcomes can vary significantly depending on the judge and the specific facts of your case.

Child Support

North Dakota uses the obligor schedule for child support, and we have read the guideline that says so. Support is read off a published dollar table rather than worked out as a percentage: the table has a row for each level of the paying parent's monthly net income and a column for each number of children, and the receiving parent's income is not part of the calculation. The net income figure is defined by the guidelines themselves rather than by take-home pay. The figure North Dakota's own guideline works from is the obligor's monthly net income, under N.D. Admin. Code § 75-02-04.1-01(6).

Custody and Parenting Time

North Dakota 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 North Dakota'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 North Dakota?
Our working estimate is $1,200 - $3,500 for an uncontested North Dakota divorce and $8,000 - $25,000 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 $160. 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 North Dakota?
Our records show no mandatory wait in North Dakota, an uncontested case at roughly 3 months, and a contested one at about 9. Treat all three as ours rather than as findings: we have not read North Dakota'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 North Dakota?
Our record has North Dakota as an equitable distribution state. That is our own record rather than North Dakota'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 North Dakota?
North Dakota uses the obligor schedule for child support, and we have read the guideline that says so. Support is read off a published dollar table rather than worked out as a percentage: the table has a row for each level of the paying parent's monthly net income and a column for each number of children, and the receiving parent's income is not part of the calculation. The net income figure is defined by the guidelines themselves rather than by take-home pay. The figure North Dakota's own guideline works from is the obligor's monthly net income, under N.D. Admin. Code § 75-02-04.1-01(6).
How is alimony determined in North Dakota?
North Dakota judges have broad discretion in setting alimony awards, and our record carries no statutory formula for the state. The factors it lists are: length of the marriage, each spouse's earning capacity, standard of living during the marriage, financial resources of each spouse. Those came into our data at the original build rather than from a reading of the statute. Outcomes can vary significantly depending on the judge and the specific facts of your case.

Divorce Costs in Nearby States

See all 50 states for complete cost breakdowns and calculators.