Filing Fees & Fee Waiver
Filing Fees
Fee Waiver
► Filing Fees
Administrative Rule 9 sets the fee schedule for all court proceedings and services. Here are the fees for opening various cases. There is a $75 fee in divorce and custody cases to file a Motion to Modify Child Custody, Visitation or Support or Spousal Maintenance or Property Division. In other cases, there are no additional fees once you have opened a case unless you request copies, etc.
| Type | Effective 1/1/2018 |
|---|---|
| Adoption | $100 |
| Change of Name (child or adult) | $200 |
| Debt Collection up to $100,000 | $150 |
| Debt Collection over $100,000 | $250 |
| Depositing a Will | $50 |
| Divorce, Dissolution, Custody or Paternity | $250 |
|
Motion to Modify Child Custody, Visitation or Support or Spousal Maintenance or Property Division
|
$75 |
|
Joint or stipulated motion to modify child custody, visitation, or support or spousal maintenance or property division
|
FREE |
|
1st motion to modify a custody or child support order issued by another state, tribe or country
|
FREE |
| Forcible Entry and Detainer (Eviction) with up to $100,000 in damages | $150 |
| Forcible Entry and Detainer (Eviction) with over $100,000 in damages | $250 |
| Guardianship | $150 |
| Probate of Estates | $250 |
| Protective Orders - Domestic Violence, Stalking, Sexual Assault, or Financial Abuse | FREE |
| Registration of a Foreign Order (except Registration of Foreign Child and/or Spousal Support Order is FREE) |
$250 |
| Small Claims | $50 if dispute is $2,500 or less; $100 if dispute is more than $2,500 |
| Certification of documents | $10/first, $3 each additional |
| Copy fees per document (not page) | $5/first, $3 each additional |
| Records research | $30.00 |
Note: There are other fees associated with appealing a case.
► Fee Waiver
If you cannot afford the fee, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. To ask the judge to waive your fees, you submit an:
- Exemption From the Payment of Fees, TF-920
Fee Waiver when Filing the Complaint or Starting the Case
Usually, you file the TF-920 with your complaint and other papers when you go to open your case. The court will hold on to your complaint until after the judge rules on the waiver. If it is granted, the clerk will fill out the bottom half of your summons. You cannot serve the other party until after you get the completed summons, and you will not get a completed summons until after the TF-920 has been ruled on. At some courts, you must return to the court to get your completed summons, other courts will issue it automatically after the waiver is granted.
Check with your local court to make sure you understand the procedure in using this form and getting the completed summons.
Fee Waiver When Filing a Motion to Modify
If you are requesting a fee waiver for a motion to modify, you should wait to serve the other side until you receive the fee waiver or pay the filing fee. Once you serve the other side, you'll need to file a certificate of service showing when and how you gave him/her a copy. You may file:
If you have not heard from the court within a week of filing the TF-920, be sure to call them. These requests are usually ruled upon within a few days.