HB652 Abolishing the family division, creating the office of family mediation, and reassigning the jurisdiction of the family division.
Abolishing the family division, creating the office of family mediation, and reassigning the jurisdiction of the family division.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Harmful
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Residents may face higher costs by litigating in superior court rather than circuit courts, and mediation requires voluntary participation by all parties, leaving contested cases more expensive to resolve.
Your Community
Elimination of the specialized family division removes accessible local forums for family disputes, potentially creating delays and geographic burdens as cases move to superior courts or mediation centers.
Your Freedom
Mediation is voluntary and requires all parties' consent; disputed cases default to superior court, which may reduce access to timely resolution compared to the existing specialized family division.
Status
Died on Table, Session ended 08/19/2026 House Journal 16
Sponsor
JD Bernardy (R)
The Short Version
This bill abolishes the family division of circuit courts and transfers family law cases (divorce, custody, support, paternity) to a new Office of Family Mediation for voluntary mediation, with unresolved cases going to superior court instead. The shift moves family cases from specialized lower courts to either mediation or higher-level courts, potentially increasing costs and delays for residents dealing with family law matters.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ State budget (consolidates court structures and reduces dedicated family division positions)
- ▲ Residents who voluntarily agree to mediation (potentially faster, less adversarial resolution)
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Families in contested divorces, custody battles, or support disputes (must litigate in superior court instead of specialized family division, likely more expensive and time-consuming)
- ▼ Low-income families unable to afford mediation or superior court litigation
- ▼ Residents in areas distant from superior courthouses, as family division circuit courts were geographically dispersed
Bill statuses as of October 7, 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.