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Dawes County, NE Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Dawes County Court |
| Courthouse address | 451 Main Street, Suite D, Chadron, NE 69337 |
| Mailing address | 451 Main Street, Suite D, Chadron, NE 69337 |
| Phone | 308-432-0116. The phone line is open 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. |
| Fax | 308-432-0118 |
| [email protected], for questions only. Email is not a filing route in Nebraska courts (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212). | |
| Hours | Office counter hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. Call before traveling because the phone line opens one hour earlier than the counter. |
| Filing fee | As of August 2026, $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with another $22 for each subsequent petition or application in an informal proceeding; a formal probate is charged on a schedule keyed to the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death, from $22 on estates of $1,000 or less to $1,500 over $5,000,000 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125). Confirm the current counter total with the clerk of the Dawes County Court before you file. |
| Local forms | Dawes County does not publish a local probate form, cover sheet, or instruction packet. Use the statewide Judicial Branch resources and the uniform fax cover sheet when fax filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). |
| E-filing | A Nebraska attorney must file electronically (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202). A person filing without a lawyer is not required to e-file and may file in person, by mail, or by fax with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B), which every Nebraska court must accept until July 1, 2028. Ask the clerk whether optional non-attorney registration under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-216 is open before relying on it. |
| Case search | Statewide trial court case search is through Nebraska.gov, running on the Judicial Branch's JUSTICE case management system at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. A general search for a list of cases is free; viewing case details is $2, with no extra charge for document images, and frequent users can open a Nebraska.gov subscriber account for an annual $100. The same case information is free at any courthouse kiosk or law library. |
| Remote appearance | Nebraska law allows a county court to hear all nonevidentiary hearings, and any evidentiary hearing the court approves with all appearing parties' stipulation, by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). Dawes County sits in the twelfth county judge district, and that district's remote-hearing rule expressly includes probate proceedings. |
| County judge district | Twelfth county judge district (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503) |
| Website | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/dawes-county-court and https://dawescounty.ne.gov/what-we-do/court-system/county-court.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Dawes County probate path, list the decedent's accounts, debts, vehicle titles, land records, beneficiary designations, and whether anyone needs authority from the court. Estate settlement is easier when you know what is already co-owned, what passes by beneficiary designation, and what still needs a personal representative.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families organize what they find before preparing a Dawes County filing or deciding whether a no-court affidavit can handle part of the estate settlement.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Dawes County is filed with the clerk of the Dawes County Court at 451 Main Street, Suite D, Chadron, NE 69337. Chadron is the county seat and courthouse city.
Nebraska district courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are issued in the county court, which has exclusive original jurisdiction of all matters relating to decedents' estates (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-517).
Dawes County sits in Nebraska's twelfth county judge district (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503). That district assigns county judges and local rules; a Dawes County estate is still filed at this county's own courthouse in Chadron.
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is the county of the decedent's domicile at death, or, if the decedent was not domiciled in Nebraska, any county where the decedent had property (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2410).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the filing track. Informal probate uses an application to the registrar, whose acts are performed by a county judge or by a person designated by the court in a written order, and the application is delivered to the clerk of the county court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216). Formal probate uses a petition to the court and proceeds with notice.
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, names and addresses of interested persons, asset information, and debts. If informal probate is requested, the registrar cannot issue the written statement until at least 120 hours have elapsed since death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2415).
- File with the clerk of the Dawes County Court at 451 Main Street, Suite D, Chadron, NE 69337. Use Mountain Time for counter hours. A self-represented filer may file in person, by mail, or by fax to 308-432-0118 with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202.
- Pay the filing fee. As of August 2026, the statutory base is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with the formal fee set by the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125. Ask the clerk for the current counter total before submitting payment.
- Handle notice after appointment. The clerk publishes notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks, with first publication within thirty days after appointment (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483). Creditor claims covered by that notice are barred unless presented within two months after the date of first publication, subject to the statute's limited extension procedure (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2485).
- Give any required Department of Health and Human Services notice if the decedent was fifty-five or older or resided in a medical institution, because that notice is part of Nebraska's creditor-notice statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483).
- Use the Dawes County remote-hearing process if a hearing is set and remote participation is appropriate. Nebraska law allows qualifying hearings by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704), and the twelfth county judge district rule states that probate proceedings are included. The judge controls whether technology is used.
- After appointment, the court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration, depending on whether there is a will. One certified copy of letters of appointment is provided without charge when the formal fee statute applies (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125).
- Administer the estate, inventory the assets, address allowed claims, and handle the Nebraska inheritance tax. The Dawes County Court determines inheritance tax and it is paid to the county; the tax is due twelve months after the date of death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010, § 77-2018.01). Rates and exemptions depend on the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent and on whether the death was before or on or after January 1, 2023 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004).
- Distribute remaining property and close the estate when administration is complete. If a closing statement is used, follow the Nebraska Probate Code requirements for that filing (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,128).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Dawes County
Dawes County does not publish a local probate form, cover sheet, or instruction packet of its own. Its county page points users to statewide Nebraska Judicial Branch resources rather than a Dawes-only packet.
| Form or resource | Use |
|---|---|
| CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, revised July 2022 | Used for the personal-property affidavit process under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125. It is presented to the property holder, not filed with the Dawes County Court. |
| CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, revised October 2025 | Used for the real-property affidavit process under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. It is recorded with the register of deeds in the county where the land is located, not filed as the court case that opens probate. |
| Uniform fax cover sheet | Required as the first page when a self-represented filer uses fax filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). |
| Informal-probate flowchart | The Judicial Branch publishes a flowchart for informal probate filed with a will through nebraskajudicial.gov. It is for testate, uncontested matters and does not cover every estate situation. |
The Judicial Branch does not publish a statewide application or petition that opens every estate, and the online Self-Help Center says it cannot supply forms for every situation. The clerk of the Dawes County Court can accept filings but cannot draft your application or petition or give legal advice.
Local nuance
Dawes County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for filing |
|---|---|
| Mountain Time | The Dawes County Court counter is open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mountain Time, and the phone line is open 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Mountain Time. Do not assume Central Time when planning a filing call or a courthouse trip. |
| Shared clerk magistrate | The clerk of the Dawes County Court is a clerk magistrate, and the same clerk magistrate also serves the Sioux County Court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-507). That does not move a Dawes County filing to another county; file Dawes County estates at the Dawes County Court in Chadron. |
| Twelfth district remote-hearing rule | The twelfth county judge district's technology rule expressly includes probate proceedings. At the county judge's discretion, a hearing may use telephone, Zoom, WebEx, or similar technology under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704. The district rule also says an objection to a witness appearing by videoconference must be filed no later than three weeks before the appearance. |
| Real property affidavits | The real-property affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129 is recorded with the register of deeds for the county where the land is located. Ask the recording office directly about recording and copy charges because no Dawes County recording fee is stated here. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| October 26, 2022 | The twelfth county judge district's Rules for the Use of Technology for Remote Hearings were approved. The rule expressly includes probate proceedings and works alongside Nebraska's remote-hearing statute, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Dawes County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the deed and account titles. If property is already co-owned or has a beneficiary designation, it may not need a Dawes County Court order. If personal property within the $100,000 ceiling remains after 30 days, CC 15:40 may be presented to the holder under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125. If a real-property interest within the separate $100,000 ceiling based on assessment-roll value must transfer, CC 15:41 is recorded with the register of deeds under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deeds, beneficiary assets, and debts so the family can see what needs court authority and what can be handled another way. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the personal-property affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 applies, no trip to Chadron is needed for that affidavit. If letters are needed, mail the probate filing to 451 Main Street, Suite D, Chadron, NE 69337, or fax it to 308-432-0118 with the uniform cover sheet if self-represented under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). Use Mountain Time when calling. | Sunset organizes the asset list, prepares a probate packet when court authority is needed, and helps coordinate with a local attorney if the filing is not straightforward. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually means court authority is needed. In Nebraska, a clerk magistrate may hear some noncontested estate matters, but not a determination of title to real estate or authorization to sell or mortgage real estate; those go to a county judge (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-519). The Dawes County Court also handles the inheritance tax determination, due twelve months after death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010, § 77-2004). | Sunset helps locate the estate assets, build the filing packet, and connect the family with a vetted probate attorney for the real-estate sale issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Nebraska Online Legal Self-Help Center, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help | Virtual self-help information from the Judicial Branch, including filing basics, fax filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B), and the rule that email is not a filing route. |
| Estates section, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates | Information on estates, claims, deposit of wills, no-court affidavits, motor vehicle title transfer, and the informal-probate flowchart through nebraskajudicial.gov. |
| Additional information: Estates, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates/additional-information-estates | Explains that Nebraska law allows self-representation but that filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help. |
| Master forms list, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/forms | Lists the CC 15 estate forms, including CC 15:40 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 and CC 15:41 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. |
| Dawes County Court page, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/dawes-county-court | Local court address, phone, fax, email, hours, and district information for Dawes County. |
| Legal Aid of Nebraska, https://legalaidofnebraska.org/how-we-help/ | Statewide AccessLine 1.877.250.2016, Monday and Wednesday 8:30 am to 11:30 am, Tuesday and Thursday 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Central; ElderAccessLine 1.800.527.7249 for people 60 and over in all 93 counties. Screening depends on household income, assets, and legal issue; published practice areas are family, debt, housing, and benefits rather than estate administration, and the organization takes no walk-ins. |
| Nebraska Free Legal Answers, https://ne.freelegalanswers.org/ | Free Legal Answers lets qualifying users submit civil legal questions online to volunteer Nebraska attorneys. Its published topic list does not include estates, and volunteers cannot represent anyone in court. |
| Limited Scope Representation, https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help | Information about hiring a lawyer for part of a case, which can be useful when a family can gather documents but needs help with a petition, hearing, or real-estate issue. |
When to hire an attorney
Nebraska does not require a personal representative to hire a lawyer, and the Judicial Branch says the law allows self-representation; the same materials say filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help and that the Self-Help Center cannot supply forms for every situation. In Dawes County, there is no local form for the application or petition that opens an estate, and Limited Scope Representation through nebraskajudicial.gov may be a middle option when you need help with only part of the case. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts, real estate, vehicles, and debts so the Dawes County estate settlement starts with a clear asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into an organized probate packet for Dawes County, including the details needed to work with the clerk of the Dawes County Court, use the correct affidavit path when available, or prepare for appointment as personal representative.
Find a local probate attorney. When a filing needs legal judgment, a formal probate petition, a real-estate sale, or inheritance tax help, Sunset connects the family with a vetted attorney who handles Nebraska county court estate matters.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, understand the local court path, and decide what to do next without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Dawes County?
File with the clerk of the Dawes County Court at 451 Main Street, Suite D, Chadron, NE 69337. Nebraska district courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are issued in the county court, which has exclusive original jurisdiction over decedents' estates (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-517).
What are the Dawes County Court clerk hours?
The office counter is open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. The phone line is open 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Mountain Time, Monday through Friday. Call 308-432-0116 before you travel.
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Dawes County?
Nebraska law allows self-representation, but the Judicial Branch says filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help. That is especially true if there is no will, there is a dispute, real estate must be sold, or the inheritance tax filing is difficult (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004).
How much does probate cost in Dawes County?
As of August 2026, Nebraska's statutory base is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with another $22 for each later petition or application in an informal proceeding. Formal probate uses a schedule based on the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death, from $22 on estates of $1,000 or less to $1,500 over $5,000,000 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125). Ask the clerk for the current counter total before filing.
Can I avoid a Dawes County probate case with an affidavit?
Sometimes. The Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, CC 15:40, applies to personal property when the $100,000 ceiling and the other requirements in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 are met. The Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, CC 15:41, is separate and is recorded with the register of deeds under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. Do not treat the two $100,000 ceilings as one combined estate cap.
Can I file by fax or email in Dawes County?
A self-represented filer may use fax filing to 308-432-0118 with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B), which every Nebraska court must accept until July 1, 2028. A Nebraska attorney must file electronically under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202. Email is for questions only and is not a filing route (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212).
Can a Dawes County probate hearing be by phone or video?
Nebraska law allows qualifying county court hearings by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). Dawes County is in the twelfth county judge district, whose technology rule expressly includes probate proceedings. The county judge controls whether a remote hearing is used, and the rule says an objection to a witness appearing by videoconference must be filed no later than three weeks before the appearance.
How do I look up a Dawes County probate case?
Use the statewide Nebraska.gov JUSTICE case search at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. General searches for lists of cases are free; viewing case details is $2, with no extra charge for document images, and frequent users can open a Nebraska.gov subscriber account for an annual $100. The same case information is free at any courthouse kiosk or law library.
Is there a Nebraska inheritance tax, and who handles it in Dawes County?
Yes. Nebraska has an inheritance tax, and it is a county tax: the Dawes County Court determines it and it is paid to the county, with the tax due twelve months after the date of death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010, § 77-2018.01). Rates and exemptions depend on the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent and on whether the death was before or on or after January 1, 2023 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004).
Do I have to travel to Chadron for estate settlement?
Travel depends on what the estate needs. Some affidavit transfers under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 or Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129 do not require opening a Dawes County Court case. If letters are needed, filing can be mailed or, for a self-represented filer, faxed with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). If a hearing is set, ask the clerk how the court wants any remote-hearing request made under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.