From Filing to Frustration: New Research Has Uncovered Which U.S. States Take The Longest To Resolve Civil Lawsuits
- New Hampshire sees the slowest-moving civil lawsuits, with an average median case duration of 47.93 months.
- Florida ranks second, while South Dakota follows closely in third.
- Vermont is home to the fastest-resolving civil lawsuits in the U.S., averaging just 2.43 months.
New research has revealed which U.S. states face the longest wait for civil justice, with New Hampshire emerging as the state with the slowest court process.
The study, conducted by Las Vegas-based personal injury firm H&P Law, analyzed data from the U.S. District Courts’ Table C-5, which reports on the median time from filing to disposition of civil cases. The findings are based on federal-level case data from the 12 months ending June 30, 2024, and represent a comprehensive look into how long it takes for civil cases to be resolved in each state.
Top Ten States With The Longest Lawsuits
| Rank (average median time interval) | State | Total number of cases | Total months spent on all cases | Average median time interval for all cases (months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 2,231 | 106,942 | 47.93 |
| 2 | Florida | 72,478 | 998,850 | 13.78 |
| 3 | South Dakota | 248 | 2,911 | 11.74 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 11,251 | 125,421 | 11.15 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 179 | 1,978 | 11.05 |
| 6 | Oregon | 1,614 | 17,780 | 11.02 |
| 7 | Idaho | 360 | 3,960 | 11.00 |
| 8 | Montana | 377 | 3,906 | 10.36 |
| 9 | Arkansas | 1,310 | 13,293 | 10.15 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 2,841 | 27,479 | 9.67 |
New Hampshire Tops The List
New Hampshire leads the nation in lawsuit duration, with civil cases there averaging a median length of 47.93 months—nearly four years. That’s more than three times longer than any other state in the top ten. During the 12-month period studied, the state disposed of 2,231 cases, which collectively took 106,942 months to complete. The length of litigation in New Hampshire may be influenced by a backlog of civil cases, as reported by the state’s Judicial Branch in recent years.
Florida and South Dakota follow
Florida takes the second spot, showing a much shorter but still significant average median duration of 13.78 months. With a large volume of 72,478 dispositioned cases, Florida’s courts spent a combined 998,850 months resolving civil matters over the period. Despite being the second slowest overall, Florida’s pace is far quicker than New Hampshire’s, highlighting how extreme the delays are in the Granite State.
South Dakota ranks third. The state handled 248 civil cases, which together took 2,911 months to resolve. That translates to a median case time of 11.74 months, making it one of only a few states to cross the 11-month threshold. Though the total number of cases is far smaller than Florida’s, the per-case delay remains significant.
Louisiana Ranks Fourth
Louisiana appears next on the list, with 11,251 cases resolved in the period studied. These lawsuits took a cumulative 125,421 months, with the average case stretching across 11.15 months. The relatively high number of cases and sustained delay suggests systemic issues with legal throughput or resource limitations in Louisiana’s court system.
North Dakota Takes Fifth
North Dakota closes out the top five with a median lawsuit duration of 11.05 months. A total of 179 civil cases were resolved, requiring 1,978 months of total processing time. Although North Dakota’s raw case numbers are small, its average time places it among the slower states for civil justice.
The Shortest Lawsuits Are In Vermont
At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont stands out as the state with the fastest civil lawsuit resolution time. With 1,056 cases settled and 2,562 total months spent on them, the average median time was just 2.43 months—a fraction of the length seen in states like New Hampshire or even Florida. The brisk pace may reflect a more efficient court process or fewer backlogged cases within the state.
Commenting on the findings, Matthew Pfau, attorney at H&P Law, said:
“The data illustrates a striking gap in how long people are waiting for civil justice, depending on where they live. While New Hampshire shows a median duration nearing four years, other states are handling similar cases in under three months. That kind of disparity can have a major impact on people’s lives, especially in cases involving injury, housing, or employment. New Hampshire’s prolonged timelines may stem from a known backlog issue the state’s courts have acknowledged since 2023. But more broadly, it underscores how much court efficiency, resource allocation, and caseload management vary across the country.”
He adds: “It’s also worth noting that larger states like Florida, despite handling tens of thousands more cases than smaller states like South Dakota or North Dakota, still managed to keep the median duration below 14 months. That suggests volume isn’t always the primary cause of delay—sometimes it’s the systems and infrastructure in place that determine how efficiently cases are processed.”
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Source:
Table C-5: “U.S. District Courts – Median Time From Filing to Disposition of Civil Cases, by Action Taken” from the Statistical Tables For The Federal Judiciary, covering the 12 months ending on June 30th, 2024
Methodology:
- Data was sourced from the U.S. District Courts’ Table C-5.
- The number of civil cases and median durations were provided per district.
- Data was aggregated by state: case counts were summed, and average median durations were calculated.
States were ranked in descending order of their average median time interval.
