Hiring a Bankruptcy Lawyer in North Dakota
How bankruptcy lawyers are paid, the North Dakota means test and exemptions, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in North Dakota: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under North Dakota Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal, litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery, and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated; it must identify expenses the client owes whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined, including an itemization of expenses. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
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North Dakota rules to know first
| Standard Chapter 13 lawyer fee | District of North Dakota (the state's only bankruptcy district): under Bankruptcy Rule 2016-1, Chapter 13 Compensation for Legal Fees and Expenses by Debtor's Attorney (effective April 3, 2023), an attorney is excused from the compensation application requirement if "the attorney's claim for compensation does not exceed a presumptively reasonable fee of $4,000." The fee is presumed to compensate a minimum level of listed services (prepetition counseling and analysis through steps needed for discharge); adversary proceedings, Rule 2004 examinations, postconfirmation hearings and certain motions are excluded. Postconfirmation simplified applications of $1,000 or less per application may be approved without a hearing. |
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| Means test median income | Median family income for North Dakota: 1 person $73,549; 2 people $96,352; 3 people $106,686; 4 people $137,817; add $11,100 for each additional person beyond 4. These figures apply to bankruptcy cases filed on or after July 15, 2026. Used in the Chapter 7 means test (Official Forms 122A-1 and 122C-1). The table's first column is labeled "1 EARNER." The same figures were posted for cases filed April 1 through July 14, 2026. The U.S. Trustee Program updates the table periodically. |
| Homestead exemption | Up to $150,000 in value over and above liens and encumbrances, covering the land the filer lives on, the house on that land, and its improvements. There is no acreage limit, but the homestead cannot include separate lots or tracts unless they are contiguous. A mobile home or house trailer used as a residence can be claimed instead, subject to the same value limit. A resident who does not claim the homestead may instead claim an exemption of up to $25,000 in lieu of the homestead. Homestead area and value: N.D.C.C. 47-18-01. Absolute exemption of the homestead and the mobile-home alternative: N.D.C.C. 28-22-02(7), (10); $25,000 in lieu of homestead: N.D.C.C. 28-22-03.1(1), both at https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t28c22.pdf. The in-lieu exemption is not available if the filer, the filer's spouse or other head of the family claimed the homestead. |
| State or federal exemptions | North Dakota has opted out of the federal bankruptcy exemptions. Residents are not entitled to the federal exemptions in 11 U.S.C. 522(d) and are limited to the exemptions allowed by North Dakota law. Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 28-22-17 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar Association of North Dakota's Lawyer Referral Service matches paying clients with lawyers. A referral includes a lawyer's name, phone number and up to a 30-minute consultation with a lawyer in the area of law and town or county you choose. The charge for a referral is $30. Phone: (866) 450-9579. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The North Dakota Court System (Supreme Court) publishes a lawyer search on its website that can be browsed by last initial, license status, city or state, plus a seniority list of currently licensed lawyers by bar admission date. The Disciplinary Board page links to it. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The North Dakota Disciplinary Board, through the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, handles complaints about unethical conduct by lawyers licensed in North Dakota. Send a written, signed and dated complaint describing the conduct, with witness names and copies of relevant documents, to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 125 Slate Dr., Ste. 2, P.O. Box 2297, Bismarck, ND 58502-2297 (701-328-3925); you do not need a lawyer. Complaints without indications of misconduct are dismissed; others are investigated and referred to a district inquiry committee, which can dismiss, admonish, agree to probation or start formal proceedings that may go to a hearing panel and the Supreme Court. The process may take several months, and you get written notice of the outcome. A complaint does not change the outcome of a case and is not a claim for damages. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Legal Services of North Dakota is a nonprofit that provides free legal assistance to North Dakota residents in a variety of matters based on income, and can check eligibility for the low-cost Volunteer Lawyers program. Call (800) 634-5263 if under age 60 or (866) 621-9886 if 60 or older (9 am-3 pm Central), or apply online. Dakota Plains Legal Services also provides free legal help to low-income people, older Americans and veterans in North and South Dakota, including tribal court matters. LSC lists Legal Services of North Dakota as its North Dakota grantee. LSND: https://lsnd.org/; LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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All legal help in North Dakota · Do I need a lawyer?
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.