CNMI divorce filings rose in 2024

Nearly a month after Valentine’s Day, it can be revealed that divorce filings in the Northern Mariana Islands increased in 2024, according to judiciary statistics on Family Court cases from 2017 to 2024.

Divorce cases rose to 104 in 2024, a 28.4% increase from 81 in 2023, although the figure remains far below pre-pandemic levels.

Divorce filings have fluctuated sharply in recent years. Cases dropped from 209 in 2017 to 172 in 2018, a 17.7% decline, before rising 17.4% to 202 in 2019.

They then plunged to 72 cases in 2020, a 64.4% drop, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, before surging 181.9% to 203 in 2021.

Filings fell again to 83 in 2022, a 59.1% decrease, and slipped slightly to 81 in 2023 before the increase recorded last year.

Overall Family Court cases in the CNMI also rose slightly in 2024. The total climbed to 530 cases, a 5.6% increase from 502 in 2023.

The broader caseload has also seen swings over the past several years. Cases fell from 590 in 2017 to 477 in 2018 (-19.2%) before rebounding to 572 in 2019 (+19.9%).

Filings dropped again to 446 in 2020 (-22%) before rising to 538 in 2021 (+20.6%). The total declined to 493 in 2022 (-8.4%) and edged up to 502 in 2023 (+1.8%).

Cases filed under the Family Protection Act, which typically involve domestic violence protection orders, decreased slightly in 2024. Filings slipped to 131 cases, a 1.5% decline from 133 in 2023.

The category, however, has seen dramatic swings in the past. Cases fell from 165 in 2017 to 93 in 2018 (-43.6%), increased to 116 in 2019 (+24.7%), and dropped sharply to 35 in 2020 (-69.8%).

They then surged to 140 in 2021, a 300% increase, before gradually declining to 139 in 2022 and 133 in 2023.

Paternity cases recorded one of the steepest changes last year. After climbing to 148 filings in 2023, cases dropped to 28 in 2024, an 81.1% decrease.

Other filings—including juvenile matters and name changes—recorded the largest increase. Cases jumped to 202 in 2024 from 55 in 2023, a 267.3% rise.

Guardianship filings declined to 37 cases in 2024, a 26% drop from 50 in 2023.

Adoption cases also dipped, falling to 28 in 2024 from 35 in 2023, a 20% decrease.

Despite fluctuations across categories, the overall figures show Family Court activity gradually stabilizing in the years following the pandemic disruption in 2020.