Six steps to a Nebraska divorce.
Full Answer
You'll need to decide whether:
If your divorce is expected to be mutually agreeable, civil, and uncontested, it might be advantageous to go through the divorce process without an attorney (pro se). Doing so can save you money and make the process less adversarial. Follow these guidelines if you decide getting a divorce without a lawyer is right for you.
The Divorce Filing Process
Uncontested divorce There are no special rules for uncontested divorces in Nebraska but they are generally the quickest. Unlike with a pro se divorce, in an uncontested divorce, the couple may still hire an attorney to assist in drawing up the paperwork and to negotiate any final issues.
Even an uncontested divorce with legal representation can cost $1,500 to $2,000. By filing for your own divorce, Pro Se, you will pay the court a filing fee of $158 and if you use a document preparation service such as 3StepDivorce.com TM, add on $299 for a total of $457.
If the divorce is uncontested (you and your spouse agree to divorce AND on all the main issues AND are prepared to sign the paperwork to this effect), you can be granted a divorce around two months later.
When you file the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, you will need to pay a fee of $158.00. This is the current fee in Nebraska for filing for divorce. If you are on a low income and are unable to pay this fee, you may obtain permission from the court to have the fee waived.
An uncontested divorce is one in which you and your spouse work together to agree on the terms of your divorce. You will both consult with the same attorney, who will be unbiased and impartial. There is no formal trial, and only the plaintiff appears in court.
You start the legal process by filing a Complaint for Dissolution with the clerk of the district court in the county where you or your spouse lives. There is a cost to file a Complaint for Dissolution. Once you file, you will be given a case number for your case.
No, Nebraska is not a 50/50 community property state. This means that a judge will determine the division of property during a divorce under equitable distribution policy and not automatically divide assets in half.
Whether a couple is formally or informally separated, they are still married. That means that any extramarital relations or dating during this period could be considered adultery.
To file for divorce in Nebraska, you can file a petition stating that your marriage is irretrievably broken. If your spouse does not deny the statement or if your spouse agrees that it is broken, the judge will determine if in fact your marriage is broken.
Yes. Nebraska is a “no-fault” state meaning that blame is not apportioned during a divorce. It is enough that the marriage is irretrievably broken for a divorce to be granted. It does not require one of the parties to have committed adultery, abuse or abandonment, for instance.
Adultery is not a crime in Nebraska. Nebraska is a no fault divorce state. Cheating in a marriage may be relevant as to alimony and custody decisions but in most cases it carries little weight in the overall decision.
In the majority of cases, Nebraska courts don't award alimony. If they do, it's for a short time – long enough for the spouse receiving support to get training or education or find a job. It's sometimes called “rehabilitative spousal support.”
When you decide to end a marriage in Nebraska, the no-fault is declaring the marriage as irretrievably broken. In filing for divorce, the first thing you need to decide is whether you want to hire and attorney, or file on your own, Pro Se.
Doing a Pro Se divorce means you are representing yourself in your divorce case, without hiring a lawyer to file the divorce papers for you. The court procedures that you follow when filing for your own divorce are the same as if you hired a lawyer, only you are the one completing and filing the divorce paperwork with your local courts. 3StepDivorce TM for Montana makes it fast and affordable to complete the required paperwork which is ready for signing and filing.
In a high net worth marriage, often there may be a complicated marital estate which then decreases the likelihood of an uncontested divorce. In this instance, it may be advisable to contact a lawyer who can advise you of your legal rights.
Fees: The fees for filing for divorce in Nebraska is around $157. Lawyer Costs: If you plan to employ a divorce attorney, then the cost of the divorce can range from $3,000-$23,000 and the average attorney’s fees are around $8,200. Joint Divorce: Both the spouses can file for a joint divorce, in which case they are known as “Co-Petitioners”.
To file for a divorce in Nebraska: Either your spouse or you should have been a resident of the state with an intention of making it your permanent home for a minimum of 1 year before filing the divorce complaint. If you do not meet this requirement, then you can file for legal separation and once your residency requirement is met, ...
You must serve your spouse immediately and if you do not serve your spouse within a period of 6 months of filing the divorce complaint, your case will be dismissed automatically.
This is when both spouses are not able to agree on some or most of the issues and the case will go to trial and will be heard by a judge in court. The judge will hear the testimonies and the evidence presented by the lawyers of both the spouses and take decisions on all issues that are disputed. STEP 4:
There are no specific procedures or rules for uncontested divorces; however, they are quicker and if you are able to agree with your spouse on all the issues, the divorce can be completed in less than 6 months.
In Nebraska, the property division is a 3- step process: Classification of the property as marital and non-marital. Valuation of the marital assets and liabilities of both spouses. Calculation and division of the marital estate between both spouses in an equitable manner.
The marital property is divided equitably in Nebraska because it is an “equitable distribution” state. If the parties are not able to agree on the property and debt, the court will decide the same.
You or your spouse must be a resident of Nebraska for at least one (1) year before filing your divorce with the court. The one exception is when you were married in Nebraska, have been married less than one (1) year, and have lived in Nebraska the entire time since your marriage.
If your address is confidential under Nebraska or Federal law, provide only the county and state and provide an alternative address for mailing of notice.
If you cannot get your spouse to sign a Voluntary Appearance and if the sheriff is unable to serve a Summons on your spouse, you can ask the court for permission to serve your spouse with notice of the divorce in another way, referred to as Service by Publication.
You start the legal process by filing a Complaint for Dissolution with the clerk of the district court in the county where you or your spouse lives. There is a cost to file a Complaint for Dissolution. Once you file, you will be given a case number for your case.
Usually, it is best to try the Voluntary Appearance first. If that does not work, then try the Praecipe for Summons. If that does not work, then try Service by Publication. If you serve your spouse by publication, the court may not be able to award child support.
If the judge signs the Decree and files the Decree with the clerk’s office, the divorce will not be final for 30 days. Also understand that you cannot remarry anyone anywhere in the world until at least six (6) months after the decree is signed by the judge and filed with the clerk’s office, unless your spouse dies.
Your spouse has 30 days after being served to file a written response to your Complaint with the court. (If your spouse signed a Voluntary Appearance, the 30 days begin to run the day after you file the Voluntary Appearance with the court.)
If a spouse falls behind or does not pay according to terms of the alimony settlement, you can seek help from the courts to enforce the order. Judges can levy penalties, tax intercepts, garnish wages, seize bank accounts, revoke driver’s licenses, and in a few cases, put the non-compliant spouse in jail.
This is known as the 10/10 rule. It also allows former spouses to receive commissary, exchange, and healthcare benefits after a divorce if the former spouse can show that: the service member served at least 20 years of creditable service. the marriage lasted at least 20 years.
However, you can choose to waive delaying the divorce by signing paperwork that allows the divorce to proceed uncontested. Child support and spousal support are determined by Nebraska state guidelines , but federal law dictates that these awards may not exceed 60% of a servicemember’s pay and allowances.
If you have assets in an account from before your marriage, and you have kept that account separate, then you will be entitled to the assets without sharing the proceeds. When making a claim for bank account assets, be prepared to support your case with sufficient documentation.
Nebraska is an equitable distribution state, meaning that marital assets and liabilities are split fairly, but now necessarily 50/50. The courts prefer both parents to remain actively engaged in their children’s lives after divorce, so joint custody is strongly preferred unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Nebraska is a no-fault state, meaning that all you must do to prove conditions exist for a divorce is to claim your marriage is irretrievably broken, without the chance for reconciliation.
A legal separation does not end a marriage, but it does resolve many of the elements such as dividing marital property, child custody and visitation, child support, and alimony, or other related issues.
One of the first choices you’ll need to make is deciding what kind of divorce you want to pursue.
To start your divorce, you must complete and file forms with the clerk of the district court. At a minimum, the forms you need to file will include:
Yes. You are not legally required to use an attorney in Nebraska to get a divorce.
You can work with a service or an attorney online to help you prepare paperwork, but filing must be done in person at a district courthouse.
The only time you can complete “proof of service” by mail is if your spouse lives in another state. In this case, you will need to contact the sheriff’s office in the county where your spouse lives and make arrangements with them for service.
Nebraska recognizes “no-fault” divorce. In order to file for a divorce in Nebraska, you or your spouse must be a resident of Nebraska for at least 1 year before filing for divorce and you must prove that the marriage is “irretrievably broken” for it to be dissolved.
It is nearly impossible to estimate how much a divorce will cost someone. The costs and circumstances significantly vary from case to case. A case where the parties are amicable and can agree on the issues will cost less than an acrimonious divorce where all issues have to be proven at trial. Most cases fall in between those two scenarios.
In Nebraska, alimony is awarded by the courts. Several factors will be considered during the decision including child support payments, the standard of living during the marriage, and the earning ability of the recipient spouse. However, the conduct of spouses during the marriage is not a deciding factor for alimony in Nebraska.
You are not required to hire an attorney. However, the court will not assist or give legal advice to parties that do not have an attorney. There are various procedures that need to be completed for a divorce to be granted. An attorney will advise you of these procedures and make sure that you have a full understanding of what your options are.
Nebraska is a no-fault divorce state permitting the dissolution of marriage upon a finding that the marriage is irretrievably broken.
The Nebraska Dissolution Statutes authorize maintenance to either party. Neither the Nebraska Supreme Court nor the Nebraska Court of Appeals has ever articulated a coherent rule or set of rules concerning when or how much maintenance should be awarded.
As part of the dissolution, either party may seek to have their maiden name or a former name restored. The court must grant such request except for good cause shown.
You can get a divorce in 60 days after you file the papers in court, but it’s more likely to happen in three to four months.
You don’t have to go to court to get a divorce in Nebraska if you settle all divorce issues with your spouse directly. This friendly procedure is the simplest, shortest, and least expensive. In this case, most courts will require only one party to attend the final hearing.
Depending on whether your spouse standpoint, you can have these two types of divorces:
Whether you’re saving for rainy days or a new gadget, DoNotPay can provide numerous options to save and earn more cash.