How to run Settlement Allocator in DocketMath for North Dakota

Step-by-step

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Settlement Allocator calculator.

Below is a practical walkthrough for running Settlement Allocator in DocketMath for North Dakota (US-ND). This guide focuses on what to enter, what the tool outputs, and how jurisdiction-aware rules affect results—without providing legal advice.

Before you start, confirm you have:

• The settlement amounts by party/person (or the claimant’s total, if you’re allocating within a defined scope).
• The case context you’re modeling (for example, whether the settlement is intended to cover multiple components).
• Any relevant percentages, weights, or earmarks you want the allocator to use.

1) Open the tool from the primary CTA

Go to the tool here:

• /tools/settlement-allocator

If you navigate manually, use the DocketMath navigation to reach Settlement Allocator, then ensure the jurisdiction selector is set to:

• **North Dakota (US-ND)

2) Choose the allocation mode

In Settlement Allocator, select the mode that matches how you want allocation to be computed. Common approaches include:

• Percent/weights-based allocation (you provide weights or component percentages)
• Amount-driven allocation (you provide a total settlement and allocate across categories/parties)

Pick the one that best matches the information you already have. If you only know totals and not breakdowns, choose a mode that supports deriving a distribution from weights or rules.

3) Enter parties or allocation targets

Add the targets you want allocated. Examples:

• Claimant(s) (if splitting among multiple individuals)
• Categories (if splitting settlement into components like damages types)
• Medical / wage / non-economic buckets (if your data is organized this way)

For each target, provide a clear label. Keeping names consistent helps you reconcile results later (for example, “John Doe – Medical” vs “John Doe – Med” can create confusion when exporting).

4) Provide the settlement amount(s)

Enter the settlement figure you’re allocating. You may need to input either:

• A single total settlement amount (then allocate across targets), or
• Multiple settlement amounts (if there are different settlements per party/component)

If you’re modeling a global settlement, enter the total first, then allocate.

5) Apply North Dakota jurisdiction-aware rules

Set the jurisdiction to US-ND. DocketMath’s jurisdiction setting affects how the allocator interprets certain rule logic—particularly how it normalizes and validates inputs.

Typical impacts include:

• Validation checks tailored to the jurisdiction’s expected formatting and rule constraints (for example, whether weights must sum to 100%).
• Rule weighting logic that may adjust how the allocator treats unspecified components.

After selecting US-ND, review any on-screen prompts or validations. Address them before running the calculation—these are often the source of “mysterious” differences between reruns.

6) Run the allocation

Click Calculate / Run (button text may vary). DocketMath will compute the distribution using your inputs and the US-ND rule set.

Watch for:

• Rounding behavior (especially with cent-level values)
• Normalization (for example, if provided weights don’t sum to 1.00 or 100%)

7) Review outputs and verify internal consistency

After the run, review:

• Allocation per target (amount and/or percentage, depending on your mode)
• Total reconciliation (should match your entered settlement total, subject to rounding)
• Any residual or unallocated remainder if inputs don’t fully specify distribution

Use these checks:

• Does the sum of allocations equal the total settlement amount?
• If you supplied weights/percentages, do the resulting percentages match your expectations?
• Are categories you intended to be zero actually zero?

If totals don’t reconcile, investigate normalization or residual allocation—this commonly happens when weights are missing, partial, or inconsistent.

8) Export or copy results for recordkeeping

If DocketMath provides export options (for example, copy table, CSV, PDF, or spreadsheet download), use them to preserve:

• The **jurisdiction setting (US-ND)
• The exact inputs
• The resulting allocation table

This helps ensure you can reproduce the same distribution later, even if you change a label or rerun after edits.

9) Iterate with controlled input changes

When results don’t match expectations:

• Change one input category at a time (for example, one weight or one settlement amount)
• Re-run
• Compare the delta

This “single change” method is the fastest way to identify which field is driving the difference.

Common pitfalls

Settlement Allocator tends to be most reliable when inputs are consistent. These issues most often cause surprising outputs for North Dakota (US-ND) runs.

• missing a required input
• using a stale rate or rule
• ignoring calendar or holiday adjustments
• skipping documentation of assumptions

Pitfall checklist

Quick debugging workflow

If something looks off, do this in order:

1. Confirm US-ND is selected.
2. Verify weights/percentages use the same scale (either all whole % or all decimals).
3. Ensure every intended allocation target has either:

   • A weight/percentage, or
   • A clear expectation for what the selected mode assumes when weights are absent.
4. Re-run and compare totals and residuals.

Try it

Run a North Dakota (US-ND) allocation right now:

• Open /tools/settlement-allocator
• Select **North Dakota (US-ND)
• Enter a single total settlement amount (start simple)
• Add 2–3 allocation targets with clear weights
• Click Calculate
• Verify:

  • Allocations sum to the total
  • Percentages/weights behave as you expect
  • No warnings remain unresolved

Then do a controlled second run:

• Change only one weight (for example, increase one category from 40% to 45%)
• Keep everything else the same
• Confirm the output redistributes accordingly

This two-run test is a fast way to confirm you’re using DocketMath’s allocator logic as intended for US-ND.

Related reading

• Settlement Allocator Guide for Alabama
• Settlement Allocator Guide for Arizona
• Settlement Allocator Guide for Colorado