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Get the Final Parenting Responsibility Judgment – Both Parents

Important! The forms available through the N.D. Legal Self Help Center are only for parenting responsibility cases involving common and uncomplicated circumstances.

The following final parenting responsibility judgment forms won’t work for every case.

If the following forms don’t work for your situation, you need to create your own legal documents, or retain a lawyer to create the documents for you.

You may use the Center’s forms as templates to create your own legal documents. You may also find the Center’s General-Use forms useful as a starting point for creating your own legal documents.

Remember, North Dakota Legal Self Help Center forms aren’t official court forms and courts aren’t required to accept them. There’s no guarantee that all judges and courts will accept forms available through the Center. Use at your own risk.

Overview

This webpage includes information and forms for:

  • Default Parenting Responsibility Judgments; and
  • Final Parenting Responsibility Judgments after a trial.

Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment

The Plaintiff parent may ask the judge or judicial referee in their case for a Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment if the Defendant parent doesn’t answer the parenting responsibility Summons and Complaint within 21 days after the Defendant parent was served.

The Plaintiff must ask the judge or judicial referee in writing in a Motion for a Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment.

In order for the judge or judicial referee to grant a Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment, the Plaintiff must prove the following:

  • The Defendant was correctly served the parenting responsibility Summons and Complaint;
  • The deadline for the Defendant to answer the Summons and Complaint passed and the Defendant didn’t answer;
  • The North Dakota State District Court has jurisdiction (authority) to grant a parenting responsibility judgment; and
  • The Plaintiff provided all other necessary information and proof for the judge to grant a Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment.

Motion for Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment – for Plaintiff

  • A basic, step-by-step informational guide for making a motion for a Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment
  • Includes formatting examples of common motion for Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment documents

Answer to Motion for Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment – for Defendant

  • A basic, step-by-step informational guide for answering a motion for a Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment
  • Includes formatting examples of common answer to motion for Default Parenting Responsibility Judgment documents

Final Parenting Responsibility Judgment After a Trial

After the trial in the parenting responsibility case, the judge or judicial referee signs their Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Order for Judgment. Once dated and signed, the Clerk of Court issues a Judgment, which officially ends the parenting responsibility case.

The judge or judicial referee may require one or both parents to provide proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Order for Judgment for the judge to sign! The judge or judicial referee may also require one or both parents to provide a proposed Judgment for the Clerk of Court to sign!

Most, but not all, evidentiary hearings and trials are recorded. Parents, as parties in the parenting responsibility case, can request an audio recording of the evidentiary hearing or trial, if it was recorded. Parties get the audio recording free of charge.

Audio recordings are very useful when preparing proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Order for Judgment and proposed Judgments.

If the evidentiary hearing or trial wasn’t recorded, you may request a transcript. You’re required to pay for transcripts.

Final Parenting Responsibility Judgment Forms

After the Parenting Responsibility Judgment is Signed

If you don’t understand any of this information, or if you have trouble filling out any of the forms located here, consult a lawyer.

The information provided on and obtained from this site doesn’t constitute the official record of the Court. This information is provided as a service to the general public. Any user of this information is hereby advised that it’s being provided "as is". The information provided may be subject to errors or omissions. Visitors to this site agree that the Court isn’t liable for errors or omissions of any of the information provided.

If you have a question relating to a case that is already filed, contact the clerk of court for the county.