New Hampshire Court Records

New Hampshire Court Record Lookup

New Hampshire NH Court records are those decrees and orders that originate from an official body in New Hampshire and carry the weight of legal authority. With a court record, one may appeal a decision, demand payment on a judgement, evict a tenant, secure custody of a child, sever a relationship, or clear a driving record. Court records are public documents that may be requested by anyone, they can be viewed by conducting a New Hampshire court records search. For this purpose, you can use Recordsfinder.com's online tools to find out NH criminal records, civil and traffic court cases, and more.

Circuit courts

New Hampshire’s court system was streamlined under a circuit court arrangement in 2011. Among the specialty divisions within circuit courts are probate, family, and district courts. The probate courts are found in 10 counties and are concerned with guardianships, wills, estates, and the care of the mentally ill. Family courts handle divorce, delinquency, child support, domestic violence, abuse and neglect, and similar issues and are found in 28 locations around the state. District courts handle misdemeanors, small claims, traffic tickets, landlord-tenant issues, and similar matters.

Some records, including those of cases involving juveniles and victims of certain crimes, are restricted from public access due to confidentiality laws.

Trial courts

Trials are held in the state’s superior courts for both criminal and civil matters, such as family case filings, including New Hampshire child support and custody cases. Anyone can access New Hampshire court records online via New Hampshire court case lookup

Appeals court

The state supreme court is the only appeals court in the state, which hears disputes over lower court decisions and oversees the state bar. 

Federal courts

Each state hosts at least one U.S. District Court. These New Hampshire courthouses have jurisdiction over lawsuits that involve multiple states, violations of federal laws, and bankruptcies. These cases documents can be accessed via New Hampshire court record lookup.

New Hampshire Notable Court Cases

In 1997, Claremont School District v. Governor of New Hampshire was noted for ruling on the constitutionality of school funding allocation. There were several cases leading to this final decision which began in 1993. The city of Claremont essentially alleged the allocation of education funds, as determined by the state, was unconstitutional. Five school districts, children and taxpayers from each district comprised the plaintiffs. At the time, there was an 8 percent cap on state aid given to public schools, allegedly failing to "'spread educational opportunities equitably among its students."

The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the funding system was in fact unconstitutional. Another suit was filed in 2005 by the plaintiffs, stating the state had yet to meet its constitutional requirements. The court then ordered the state to define a "'constitutionally adequate education" by June 2007 in Londonderry School District v. State.