What the $1,695 actually covers
I set it up as a flat fee because the hourly meter is the thing people dread most. Here's what you get:
- A private call with each of you. Separately, so each person can say what they can't say with the other listening.
- A written intake. The facts and numbers, gathered before we meet, so the session time goes to decisions.
- One prepared 3-hour joint session on Zoom. It's usually one session.
Some divorces need more than one sitting. If yours looks like it will, I'll tell you plainly before anything else is scheduled, so there's no surprise bill.
The other prices, in one place
- Free 15-minute call: actually free. It's how we figure out whether this fits.
- Divorce mediation: $1,695 per person, flat.
- Divorce over 50: $2,500 per person, flat, over two sessions, for pensions, retirement accounts, and the house.
- Post-divorce and co-parenting mediation: $995 per person, for the things the decree didn't settle.
Why there's no single Minnesota price
Minnesota doesn't set mediator fees. For court-connected ADR, Rule 114.11(a) says the neutral is paid according to the agreement with the parties or as the court orders, and all fees must be "fair and reasonable." That's it. No rate table.
What the rules do require is honesty about money. The Code of Ethics for court-annexed neutrals, Rule 114.13, subd. 7(a), says a neutral must fully disclose and explain fees up front, must put the fee agreement in writing, and can't charge a fee that depends on the outcome. That's a good standard to hold any mediator to, court-ordered or not.
In practice you'll see three models: hourly billing (often with a retainer), packages of a set number of hours or sessions, and flat fees like mine. None is automatically cheaper. Hourly can be fine for a simple case and expensive for a stuck one. A flat fee trades that uncertainty for a number you know on day one.
Costs that sit outside any mediator's fee
- The court filing fee. It varies by county. I keep the current numbers on the full cost of a Minnesota divorce page.
- Attorney review. If either of you wants a lawyer to look over the agreement, that lawyer bills separately. See do I need a lawyer if we mediate?
- Parent education. If you have kids and haven't agreed on custody or a schedule, § 518.157 requires an eight-hour program. Each attendee pays a fee, providers must use a sliding scale, and people who qualify for a fee waiver are exempt.
- Specialists. Appraisers, financial planners, retirement-division paperwork, tax advice.
How to compare quotes
Ask every mediator the same five questions, and get the answers in writing:
- What's the total, for both of us?
- What exactly is included, and what triggers extra charges?
- Who will actually mediate?
- What happens if we need more time?
- Is it on Zoom, in person, or either?
For cases already in court, Rule 114.01(c) addresses cost: when a party qualifies for a filing-fee waiver or the court finds the party can't pay, and no free or low-cost ADR is available, the court shall not require that party to participate. How that applies to a particular case is a question for a licensed Minnesota attorney or the court.
Quick answers about mediation cost
Is the $1,695 per person or per couple?
Per person. Each spouse pays $1,695, so the total for a couple is $3,390. It's a flat fee, not hourly.
What does the $1,695 include?
A private call with each of you, a written intake, and one prepared 3-hour joint session on Zoom. It's usually one session.
What isn't included?
The court's filing fee, any attorney either of you hires to review the agreement, and outside professionals like appraisers or financial advisors. Those are billed by the court or by those professionals, not by me.
Is there a different price for couples over 50 or after the divorce?
Yes. The over-50 package is $2,500 per person, flat, over two sessions. Post-divorce and co-parenting mediation is $995 per person.
What if we can't afford mediation and the court orders ADR?
Rule 114.01(c) says that if a party qualifies for a filing-fee waiver, or the court finds the party can't pay, and free or low-cost ADR isn't available, the court shall not require that party to participate in ADR.
Sources I checked
Primary Minnesota sources, read at the source in October 2026. Follow the links for the full text.
- Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 114 (court-annexed ADR, Code of Ethics for neutrals)
Which cases are subject to ADR, how the process and neutral are chosen, fees, confidentiality, and the Code of Ethics (Rule 114.13).
- Minn. Stat. § 518.157 (parent education program)
Eight-hour parent education when custody or parenting time isn't agreed, timing, fees, and notice of the private-mediation option.
- Minnesota Judicial Branch: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
The courts' plain-language ADR page and the Rule 114 roster of Qualified Neutrals.
Written by
Ryan McLaughlin, JD, Mediator
I founded Flannel People Mediation in St. Paul. I have a JD, but I'm not a practicing attorney and I don't give legal advice. I mediate divorces for Minnesota couples over Zoom.
Last updated October 2026.
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