Hiring a Child Custody Lawyer in New Hampshire
How courts in New Hampshire decide custody, emergency custody, parenting classes, how to check a lawyer's license, and free or low-cost family law help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in New Hampshire: fee rules
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The New Hampshire Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Committee tries to resolve disputes between NH attorneys and clients that fall short of an ethics violation, including fee questions. The service is free and voluntary; if the attorney declines, the committee cannot proceed. It does not handle fees set by statute, agency rule or court order, or disputes in pending litigation. Send a written notice (names, the attorney's role, whether a case is pending, the facts, the resolution you want and your contact details) to NH Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Committee, 2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord, NH 03301, or email NHBA.DRC@nhbar.org. |
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| If a lawyer takes your money | The Public Protection Fund, administered by the New Hampshire Bar Association under Supreme Court Rule 55, reimburses money or property lost through theft or misappropriation by a New Hampshire attorney in New Hampshire, within a client-attorney relationship or while the attorney served as a fiduciary (such as trustee, guardian or conservator), for thefts after June 1, 1998. File within three years of when you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the theft, and never more than one year after the attorney is suspended, disbarred, dies or is judged incompetent. The Fund is a last resort: you must show reasonable efforts to collect from the attorney's assets, insurance and sureties, the law firm, and other liable third parties. Send the Statement of Claim form to the NH Bar Association, 2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord, NH 03301, Attn: Public Protection Fund Committee; phone 603-715-3289. |
New Hampshire rules to know first
| How custody is decided | Parental rights and responsibilities are decided by the child's best interests, using listed factors such as the child's relationship with each parent and each parent's willingness to foster frequent and continuing contact with the other parent. There is a presumption that joint decision-making is in the child's best interest (abuse is evidence against it). If the court finds roughly equal parenting time is not in the child's best interest, it must explain why. The court may give substantial weight to the preference of a mature minor child if it finds, by clear and convincing evidence, the child is sufficiently mature; no specific age is set. The court may not prefer a parent because of sex or financial resources. Source: RSA 461-A:5, 461-A:6 |
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| Emergency custody | After a parenting petition is filed, the court may issue ex parte temporary orders, including a temporary allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, without notice to the other parent only if specific facts in an affidavit or verified petition show that immediate and irreparable injury or loss will result to the applicant or the child before the other side can be heard. The moving party must file an affidavit about the notice given or attempted, and the court must find the notice was timely. The parent against whom an ex parte order is issued can request a hearing, which must be held within 5 days of the request. Source: RSA 461-A:9 |
| Parenting classes | Parents of minor children in cases allocating parental rights must attend a 4-hour seminar on the effects of divorce on children, to be completed within 45 days of service of the petition. Attendance is waived if a party is incarcerated or has attended before, in certain child support agency actions, or for good cause such as domestic violence; parents in domestic violence cases attend separate sessions. The fee is paid to the presenter, with reduced or no cost for people on need-based assistance. |
| Grandparents' rights | Grandparents may petition for reasonable visitation. The court considers whether visitation is in the child's best interest, whether it would interfere with the parent-child relationship, the nature of the grandparent's relationship with the child, friction between grandparent and parent, and the child's wishes. The section does not apply where the grandparent's access was already restricted before or at the time of the event (such as divorce or death) that broke up the nuclear family. Source: RSA 461-A:13 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The New Hampshire Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) helps people find a qualified, conveniently located attorney. Call 603-229-0002 and a referral specialist will help clarify your legal issue and refer you to an attorney who handles that type of issue, or use the online referral. LRS charges a nonrefundable $25 administrative fee. The page also links to reduced-fee services. |
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| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The New Hampshire Supreme Court's Attorney Discipline Office (4 Chenell Drive, Suite 102, Concord, NH 03301; 603-224-5828) handles misconduct complaints and can tell you whether complaints have been filed against a lawyer. A grievance is a letter giving the attorney's name and address, a description of the legal matter, a detailed factual account with dates, relevant documents and the proof you would offer (including witnesses). It must be signed under oath: sign the Oath Form before a notary public or justice of the peace, complete the Certification of Copies Form, attach both, and send a copy of the letter and enclosures to the attorney. Grievances cannot be filed by email or fax because they need original signatures. Public disciplinary decisions can be searched on the Attorney Discipline System site. Office address and phone as listed by the NH Bar Association: https://www.nhbar.org/dispute-with-an-attorney/ |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | 603 Legal Aid generally helps people with low incomes with civil legal problems. Apply online (24/7) or by phone at (603) 224-3333 (intake calls Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 am-12:30 pm; no intake calls Thursday or Friday). After you apply, 603 Legal Aid may schedule a phone appointment for free legal advice, and you may be able to get free legal help. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) lists 603 Legal Aid as the LSC-funded grantee in the state. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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All legal help in New Hampshire
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.