Cost and Filing Fees in Nebraska

District court filing fee

Nebraska's Administrative Office of the Courts publishes a statewide filing fee schedule. It applies in every county's district court. Under the July 1, 2026 schedule, a complaint for dissolution of marriage carries a total fee of $200. That total is made up of a $35 county docket fee, a $50 mediation fee, a $26 state docket fee, a $25 child abuse prevention fee, a $15 records management fee, a $12 judges' retirement fee, a $10 case management systems fee, an $8 automation fee, a $7 judges' retirement docket fee, a $6.25 legal services fee, a $3 indigent defense fee, and several smaller assessments under $2 each.

This fee is set by statewide statute and court rule, not by each county separately. So it does not vary by county the way some other states' fees do. Confirm the current total on the court's published schedule before filing, since the Legislature and the Supreme Court adjust these component fees periodically.

Fee waiver: the poverty affidavit

A person who cannot pay the filing fee can ask to proceed in forma pauperis. This means filing a poverty affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2301.01. The affidavit is a sworn statement of the filer's inability to pay court costs. Once the court files and accepts it, the case can move forward without paying the docket and filing fees up front. The poverty affidavit process is separate from any later request for help with fines or court costs after a case is filed. Courts handle that through payment alternative programs, not the poverty affidavit itself.

Service of the other spouse

After filing, the complaint and summons must be served on the other spouse. In Nebraska this is commonly done through the county sheriff, who charges a statutory service fee. A certified process server is another option. Either one adds a separate charge on top of the filing fee. If the other spouse signs a voluntary acceptance of service or a waiver, you can avoid service costs entirely. When a spouse's location is unknown, service by publication is available. It requires a separate court motion and newspaper publication charges, which raise the total cost of that step.

Parenting education when children are involved

Nebraska's Parenting Act requires most parents in a case involving minor children to complete a court-approved parenting education course before the divorce can be finalized. The Nebraska judicial branch maintains a list of approved parenting education class providers. Each provider sets and collects its own class fee; the court does not charge a fixed statewide amount. So the cost varies by provider. Confirm it directly with the class before enrolling. Parents who cannot afford the class fee can ask the provider or the court about a fee reduction.

What makes a Nebraska divorce cost more

The filing fee and a basic service fee are the floor, not the ceiling. A case becomes more expensive when it is contested rather than uncontested. Disputes over parenting time, property division, or spousal support can require additional filings. They can also require mediation sessions beyond the basic mediation fee already built into the filing cost, expert appraisals of property or business interests, and multiple court hearings. Discovery, such as subpoenaing financial records or deposing a spouse, adds its own costs. Cases that settle quickly through agreement avoid most of these added expenses. Cases that go to trial do not.