Civil procedure in New Hampshire Superior Court runs on a set of rules that control how you start a case, what you file, how you serve the other side, when you must try to settle, how you exchange evidence, and how you preserve the right to appeal. Miss a deadline or ignore a step, and the strongest case can be dismissed, defaulted, or barred before a judge ever hears it. The sections below walk through the requirements in the order they tend to matter.
Confirm You Are Still Within the Statute of Limitations
Before anything else, check the clock. For personal actions in New Hampshire, which includes personal injury, property damage, and most contract disputes, the general deadline is three years from the date of the act or omission that caused the harm.1New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Section 508:4 – Personal Actions Slander and libel claims carry the same three-year deadline.
New Hampshire recognizes a discovery rule for injuries that were not immediately apparent. In those situations, the three-year clock starts when you discover, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury and its cause, rather than when the underlying act occurred.1New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Section 508:4 – Personal Actions File one day late and the court will dismiss the case. Good evidence does not cure a late filing.
How to File a Civil Case
Electronic Filing Is Mandatory
Civil cases in NH Superior Court must be filed electronically unless a court order says otherwise.2New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Supplemental Rules of the Superior Court of New Hampshire for Electronic Filing The system is New Hampshire Odyssey File & Serve, accessed through the Tyler Technologies portal.3New Hampshire Judicial Branch. New Hampshire Odyssey File and Serve
Before you start a filing, gather the full legal names and current contact information for every party, identify the correct case type, and convert supporting documents to PDF. The first time you file into any case, add your service contact email address to that case so you receive hearing notices, orders, and pleadings from other parties. Filings submitted without a service contact are rejected and must be refiled.3New Hampshire Judicial Branch. New Hampshire Odyssey File and Serve
When you submit, the system generates a timestamp. That timestamp is your proof of meeting any deadline. For technical problems, use the portal’s self-help tool or call the NH Trial Court Information Center at 1-855-212-1234 and ask for the e-Filing Center.3New Hampshire Judicial Branch. New Hampshire Odyssey File and Serve
Document Format
Pleadings, motions, objections, and forms must be typed on 8.5-by-11-inch white paper, double spaced, in a font of at least 12 points, with margins of at least one inch on every side.4New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Rules of The Superior Court of the State of New Hampshire Each filing opens with a caption identifying the Superior Court location, all parties by full name, and the docket number assigned when the case was filed. The filer or their attorney signs the document, which certifies the information is accurate and the filing has a good-faith legal basis. A clerk can reject a filing that misses these standards, and the delay can cost you a deadline.
Filing Fees
As of July 1, 2025, filing a civil lawsuit in NH Superior Court costs $325. The same $325 applies to cross-claims, counterclaims, and third-party claims. Reopening a civil action after judgment is $195, landlord-tenant actions are $290, and a writ of execution is $40. If you need an out-of-state attorney to appear, the pro hac vice application fee is $350. Certified copies are $10, photocopies are $0.50 per page.5New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Superior Court Fee Schedule
Serving the Other Side
Filing with the court and serving the other parties are two separate obligations. For attorneys and parties registered in the e-filing system, the portal handles service automatically for court-issued documents, and electronic service through the portal satisfies the service requirement.6New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Rule 13 – Electronic Service of Documents
Anyone not registered must be served the traditional way, through personal delivery or mail. After serving a document, you file a certificate of service telling the court how and when each party was served. Proof of service must be filed within 21 days of the court-ordered deadline for service. Serving on time but failing to document it leaves the court with no record that service occurred.
Mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution
Parties in civil cases must participate in alternative dispute resolution unless the court excuses them.7New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Civil Cases Superior Court Rule 32 governs the process and reaches the majority of civil disputes.8New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Rule 32 – Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) The two common formats are mediation, where a trained neutral helps the parties negotiate, and neutral evaluation, where the neutral reviews the evidence and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each side.
Attendance is mandatory for all parties and their attorneys, and participants generally must appear in person unless the court grants an exception. Skipping the session or going through the motions without good-faith participation can trigger financial sanctions covering the costs the other side and the neutral incurred. In serious cases, the court may dismiss a claim or enter a default judgment against the noncomplying party. Treat ADR as a required step, not a formality.
Communications made during a mediation session that relate to the dispute are confidential and cannot be disclosed in a later court proceeding. The protection covers the mediator’s notes, work product, and case files, and the mediator cannot be called as a witness about the case. Confidentiality can be waived if all parties agree in writing, and narrow exceptions apply for threats of imminent violence, mandatory reporting under state law, and disputes between a party and the mediator. One line to keep in mind: evidence that would be admissible on its own does not become inadmissible because it was also discussed in mediation. Confidentiality protects what was said in the room, not independent facts.
Discovery
Rules 21 through 29 govern the formal exchange of information before trial. It starts with automatic disclosures under Rule 22, which require both sides to share certain information without waiting for a request, typically the witnesses they plan to call and documents they intend to use as exhibits.9New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Rule 22 – Automatic Disclosures
Beyond that, the main tools are interrogatories, document requests, and depositions. Interrogatories are written questions, capped at 25 per party without leave of court.4New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Rules of The Superior Court of the State of New Hampshire Document requests let you inspect relevant financial records, correspondence, and contracts, and must be answered or formally objected to within the rules’ timeframes. Depositions let you question witnesses under oath, with a court reporter transcribing the testimony, under time limits meant to prevent abuse. If a party refuses to cooperate, you can file a motion to compel. Sanctions for obstruction range from monetary penalties to striking pleadings.
Expert Witnesses
If you plan to use an expert at trial, RSA 516:29-b requires a written report that includes all opinions the expert will express and the basis for them, the facts and data the expert considered, any exhibits, the expert’s qualifications and publications from the last 10 years, the compensation being paid, and a list of other cases where the expert testified in the last four years.10New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Section 516:29-b – Disclosure of Expert Testimony
The disclosure is due at least 90 days before trial unless the court sets a different schedule. If the testimony is solely to rebut another party’s expert, the deadline is 30 days after the other party’s disclosure. You cannot depose the other side’s expert until after their written report has been provided.10New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Section 516:29-b – Disclosure of Expert Testimony
Motions and Response Deadlines
Most mid-case disputes are decided through motions, formal written requests asking the court to act. Superior Court Rule 12 governs how motions are filed and decided.11New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Rule 12 – Motions Specific Summary judgment, which asks the court to decide the case without a trial because the key facts are undisputed, follows RSA 491:8-a.
Once a motion is filed, the other side gets a chance to object. The court may rule on the papers or schedule oral argument. If you are the one responding, watch the objection deadline closely. Missing it can let the court grant the motion by default, which is where self-represented litigants most often lose ground, not on the strength of the argument but on the calendar.
Appealing a Superior Court Judgment
After the Superior Court enters a final judgment, the losing party can appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. A timely appeal from a final decision is a mandatory appeal, which the Supreme Court automatically accepts for review.12New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Appeal Process The notice of appeal has to be filed within the deadline set by court rules, and missing it forfeits the right to appeal.
While an appeal is pending, the trial court’s judgment remains enforceable unless you obtain a stay. A stay typically requires posting a bond or other security to protect the other party if you lose. Filing the appeal without seeking a stay is a common oversight, and it can leave the other side free to enforce the judgment against you while the appeal is still being decided.