Minnesota Filing Fees and Fee Waivers

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Filing a family case in Minnesota normally carries a fee. Dissolution filing fee: ~$365-$390. Fees are set locally and change, so treat any figure as a starting point and confirm the current amount with your clerk.

Not being able to pay does not close the courthouse door. Every state has a way to ask a judge to waive or defer the fee, usually by filing a short sworn statement about your income and expenses. The official Minnesota documents for that request are below.

Official Minnesota fee resources

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Minnesota family law forms (official index) (Minnesota judicial branch): The official statewide collection of Minnesota family law forms. When a direct document link stops working, this index is where the current version lives. https://www.mncourts.gov/GetForms.aspx?c=14

Minnesota court self-help resources (Minnesota courts self-help): Official self-help information for people handling their own Minnesota family case, including instructions and plain-language guides. https://www.mncourts.gov/Help-Topics.aspx

Find Minnesota courts (locate your district court) (Minnesota judicial branch): Find the courthouse or clerk that serves your area, with locations and contact details. https://www.mncourts.gov/Find-Courts.aspx

Minnesota official filing information (Minnesota judicial branch): The court's own page explaining how documents are filed in Minnesota and what a parent without a lawyer is allowed to do. https://www.mncourts.gov/efile

Verified official Minnesota fee waiver documents

These official documents are how you ask a Minnesota court to waive or defer a filing fee.

Affidavit to Request Fee Waiver (FEE102), form FEE102 (Fee Waiver), official document: https://www.mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/media/CourtForms/FEE102.pdf?ext=.pdf

Official link data for Minnesota was last verified June 2026. Report anything outdated through our contact page and we will re-check the official source.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to file a family case in Minnesota?

Dissolution filing fee: ~$365-$390. If you cannot afford the fee, ask the clerk about a fee waiver or indigency application; every state has a process for requesting one.

Will asking for a fee waiver hurt my case?

No. The fee waiver request goes to the question of what you can afford, not to the merits of your case. Courts handle these routinely.

What if my waiver is denied?

Ask the clerk about paying in installments or deferring the fee. Practice varies by court, so ask before you assume the case cannot be filed.