Three free, official channels in New Hampshire: bar-sanctioned lawyer referral, LSC-funded legal aid, and court self-help. No paid placement, no referral kickbacks.
Hiring an eviction attorney in New Hampshire typically runs $500 to $2,500, layered on top of $130 to $195 in court filing fees. That is a wide spread, and in this state the gap has one main explanation: whether your tenant fights. An uncontested case moves in roughly 30 to 50 days; a contested one stretches to 60 to 120. The lawyer's bill tracks that split almost exactly.
Plenty of New Hampshire landlords self-file straightforward nonpayment cases and never pay the higher figure. But the short timeline cuts both ways: a defective notice or a missed procedural step doesn't just delay you, it can send you back to day one. The most expensive eviction in New Hampshire is the one you have to refile — every restarted month costs you another $1,280 at the state's average rent.
The state bar’s lawyer-referral service screens attorneys by practice area (look for “landlord-tenant” or “real estate”), checks discipline history, and quotes a low fixed fee for the initial consult. Many state bar LRS programs are certified under ABA Model Supreme Court Rules for Lawyer Referral and Information Service.
What to ask in the first 30 minutes: (1) flat-fee quote for the case through judgment; (2) experience in New Hampshire housing/magistrate court; (3) realistic timeline; (4) settlement vs. trial posture.
The Legal Services Corporation (lsc.gov) funds a statewide legal-aid program in every state. Eviction defense is one of the highest-priority case types nationally. Eligibility is generally 125–200% of federal poverty, the program decides, and intake is by phone or online portal.
Every state Administrative Office of the Courts publishes a free self-help portal with eviction-specific forms, deadlines, and instructions. There’s no income test, landlords and tenants both qualify. Many New Hampshire courthouses also run a same-day self-help clinic where a court attorney (not your lawyer, but a neutral resource) walks you through the forms.
The fee range here is really a wager on whether the tenant answers. An uncontested possessory action under RSA § 540 (Actions Against Tenants) resolves in roughly 30 to 50 days with little more than notice work, a filing, and a default — that is the $500 end, and many attorneys will quote it flat. A contested case means a hearing, disputed facts, and possibly appeals, pushing the calendar to 60 to 120 days and the bill toward $2,500, often on hourly terms.
Keep the court's own cut in perspective: filing fees of $130 to $195 are a rounding error next to carrying costs. At New Hampshire's average rent of $1,280, a contested case that runs two to four months means $2,560 to $5,120 in rent at stake while you wait — which is why the attorney-fee decision should be measured against the calendar, not the invoice.
Pull the same three-channel directory scoped to a specific New Hampshire city:
Typical attorney fees run $500 to $2,500. The low end covers uncontested cases that resolve in roughly 30 to 50 days, often quoted flat; contested cases running 60 to 120 days land toward the high end. Court filing fees add another $130 to $195 on top.
Not always. Individual owners with a simple nonpayment case and a tenant unlikely to respond can self-file using the New Hampshire court system's self-help center. Hire counsel when the property is held in an LLC or corporation, when the tenant has an attorney, or when defenses like discrimination or retaliation are raised.
Yes, if they qualify by income. New Hampshire Legal Aid represents income-qualified tenants in eviction cases at no cost. If a legal-aid attorney appears for your tenant, expect the case to be contested — that is generally the point to retain your own counsel rather than continue self-represented.
An uncontested case under RSA § 540 typically takes 30 to 50 days from start to finish. If the tenant contests, plan on 60 to 120 days. At the state's average rent of $1,280, that difference is one to three additional months of carrying cost, which is usually the deciding factor in the hire-a-lawyer math.
State authorities: New Hampshire Bar Association; New Hampshire Legal Aid; New Hampshire Administrative Office of the Courts. Last updated July 14, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice. Linked third-party sites are operated independently; we do not endorse any specific attorney or firm.
