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Kimball County, NE Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Kimball County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Kimball County Court |
| Courthouse address | 114 E. 3rd St., Kimball, NE 69145 |
| Mailing address | 114 E. 3rd St., Kimball, NE 69145 |
| Phone | 308-235-2831 |
| Fax | 308-235-3927. A person filing without a lawyer may use fax filing with the uniform cover sheet until July 1, 2028, subject to Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). |
| [email protected], for questions, not filings. Email filings are not allowed in Nebraska courts (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212). | |
| Hours | Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Call before you go if a holiday or weather closure may affect the courthouse. |
| Filing fee | $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with another $22 for each later 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 Kimball County Court before you file. |
| Local forms | Use Nebraska Judicial Branch estate forms where they fit, including CC 15:40 and CC 15:41, plus the uniform fax cover sheet for fax filing. Ask the clerk whether any Kimball County cover page is required before you file. |
| E-filing | A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202). A person without a lawyer is not required to use e-filing and may file in person, by mail, or by fax under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). Confirm with the clerk before relying on non-attorney electronic filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-216. |
| Case search | Statewide trial court case search is through Nebraska.gov, using 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 a case's 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). Kimball County sits in Nebraska's twelfth county judge district, whose local rules add a remote hearing technology procedure. |
| County judge district | Twelfth county judge district. A county judge district assigns county judges and local county court rules; it does not move a Kimball County estate filing away from the Kimball County Court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503). |
| Website | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/kimball-county-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Nebraska probate path, list the decedent's accounts, debts, real estate, vehicles, beneficiary designations, and jointly owned property. Kimball County filings still depend on statewide Nebraska rules, but the clerk's shorter Friday hours and the county court's fax number matter when you are planning the first filing.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then uses what is found to help prepare the probate packet or identify whether a no-probate affidavit route may fit.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Kimball County is filed with the clerk of the Kimball County Court at 114 E. 3rd St. in Kimball. The clerk of the county court is an office held by a clerk magistrate in Kimball County (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-507).
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).
Kimball County sits in Nebraska's twelfth county judge district. That district is how county judges and county court local rules are assigned; the case itself is filed at this county's own courthouse in Kimball (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-502, § 24-503).
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is in the county where the decedent had domicile at death, or, if the decedent was not domiciled in Nebraska, in any Nebraska county where the decedent's property was located (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2410).
The jurisdiction process
- Decide whether the first filing is an informal probate application to the registrar or a formal probate petition to the court with notice. In an informal proceeding the registrar's acts are performed by a county judge or by a person designated by the court in a written order, and the filing is delivered to the clerk of the Kimball County Court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216).
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, a list of interested persons, and a practical inventory of assets and debts. Informal probate cannot issue until at least 120 hours have elapsed since death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2415).
- File at the Kimball County Court in person or by mail at 114 E. 3rd St., Kimball, NE 69145. A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202). A person filing without a lawyer may file in person, by mail, or by fax with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B); do not send filings by email.
- Pay the filing fee. The base fee is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, and formal probate is charged under the gross value schedule in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125.
- Handle notice. After appointment of a personal representative, the clerk publishes notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks, with first publication within thirty days after appointment; creditor claims subject to that notice are barred unless presented within two months after the first publication, subject to the statutory procedure in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2485. The party or attorney must mail the published notice and prove mailing as required by law (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483).
- Give Department of Health and Human Services notice if the decedent was fifty-five or older or resided in a medical institution, because a notice that does not follow that requirement is void (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483).
- Ask the court how your hearing will be handled if a hearing is set. Nebraska law permits qualifying hearings by telephone or videoconference under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704, and the twelfth county judge district has its own technology rule for remote hearing requests and meeting details.
- After appointment, obtain letters testamentary if there is a will or letters of administration if there is not. The court provides one certified copy of letters of appointment without charge in a formal probate fee case (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125).
- Administer the estate: collect assets, manage claims, prepare any required inventory work, address taxes, and distribute only when it is proper to do so. Nebraska inheritance tax is determined by the county court and is due twelve months after the date of death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010, § 77-2018.01, § 77-2004).
- Close the estate after administration is complete. Nebraska uses a closing statement procedure in appropriate cases under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,128.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Kimball County
Nebraska has a partial estate forms set, not a complete packet for opening every estate. The Judicial Branch provides CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, revised July 2022, for the personal property affidavit route under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125. That personal property ceiling is $100,000, raised by 2022 Neb. Laws LB 1124, signed April 18, 2022.
The Judicial Branch also provides CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, revised October 2025, for the real property affidavit route under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. That real property ceiling is $100,000, raised by 2024 Neb. Laws LB 1195, signed April 15, 2024. The real property affidavit is recorded with the register of deeds in the county where the land is located, not with the county court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129).
The same CC 15 estate series includes forms such as Demand for Notice, Statement of Claim, Release of Claim, and inheritance tax notice forms. The Judicial Branch does not provide an application form for informal probate or a petition form for formal probate. For a testate, uncontested informal matter, the Nebraska Judicial Branch estates section has a flowchart, but that flowchart does not apply when there is no will, the will is contested, or the estate or distribution is contested. Use https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates and https://nebraskajudicial.gov/forms.
If you file by fax without a lawyer, include the uniform fax cover sheet as the first page and follow the page limit and prepayment rules in Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). Call the Kimball County Court at 308-235-2831 before filing to ask whether the court wants any local cover information for your estate settlement packet.
Local nuance
Kimball County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for filing |
|---|---|
| Friday hours are shorter | The Kimball County Court is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Plan Friday filings earlier in the day and call before traveling if weather or a holiday may affect access. |
| Twelfth county judge district remote rule | For a remote hearing, Nebraska's statewide rule comes from Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704, and the twelfth county judge district adds a technology rule. Certain hearings may use telephone or cloud-based applications such as Zoom or WebEx at the presiding county judge's discretion. The clerk magistrate's office generally sends meeting details before the hearing, and an objection to a witness appearing by videoconference must be filed at least three weeks before the appearance. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Kimball County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by confirming how the home is titled and whether any assets need a personal representative. If only personal property needs transfer and the statutory conditions are met, the Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate may be presented to the holder after the waiting period under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125. If real property needs an affidavit route, CC 15:41 is recorded with the register of deeds under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. | Sunset identifies accounts, checks for beneficiary and joint ownership clues, and helps decide whether estate settlement needs a Kimball County Court filing or an affidavit packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call the Kimball County Court before mailing or faxing any filing, especially because Friday hours end at 4:00 pm. If the estate fits the personal property affidavit conditions, the claiming successor may use CC 15:40 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 rather than opening a court case. If a court case is needed, a person without a lawyer may file by mail or fax with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). | Sunset builds an asset list, prepares the right packet for review, and can connect the family with a Nebraska probate attorney if the facts do not fit a no-probate route. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A court proceeding is likely if a personal representative must sell a home. In Nebraska, a clerk magistrate may handle some noncontested estate matters but may not hear authorization for sale or mortgaging of real estate (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-519), so plan for county judge involvement if sale authority is needed. | Sunset helps organize title, mortgage, account, and debt information so the attorney or filer can prepare a stronger Kimball County estate settlement plan. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Online Legal Self-Help Center | Virtual self-help information for Nebraska courts, including filing methods, fax rules, and limits on what court employees can explain. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help |
| Nebraska Judicial Branch estates section | Estate process information, claims against estates, will deposit information, the testate informal probate flowchart, and the two no-probate affidavit forms. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates |
| Nebraska Judicial Branch forms | Searchable forms list that includes CC 15 estate forms such as CC 15:40 and CC 15:41. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/forms |
| Kimball County Court | Local filing counter for Kimball County probate, with court hours, phone, fax, and email for filing questions. | 308-235-2831; https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/kimball-county-court |
| Legal Aid of Nebraska | 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 serves people 60 and over in all 93 counties. Screening depends on household income, assets, and legal issue; published practice areas focus on family, debt, housing, and benefits rather than estate administration, and the organization takes no in-person unscheduled visits. | https://legalaidofnebraska.org/how-we-help/ |
| Nebraska Free Legal Answers | Free online civil legal questions for qualifying users, answered by Nebraska-licensed volunteer attorneys. Its published topic list does not include estates, and volunteers cannot represent anyone in court. | https://ne.freelegalanswers.org/ |
| Limited Scope Representation | Information about hiring a lawyer for part of a case, which can be useful if you can handle some steps but need help drafting or reviewing probate documents. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help |
When to hire an attorney
Nebraska does not require a personal representative to hire a lawyer, and the Nebraska Judicial Branch's own self-help materials say the law allows you to represent yourself. The same materials say that filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help, and that the Self-Help Center cannot supply forms for every situation. Counsel is especially useful when real estate must be sold, beneficiaries disagree, creditor claims are disputed, inheritance tax questions are significant, or you are unsure whether informal probate is available. Sunset connects families in Kimball County to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, balances, and institutions that may need notice during estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset and family information you provide into an organized probate packet for the Kimball County Court or for attorney review.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal judgment, a formal petition, real estate sale authority, or inheritance tax help, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Nebraska probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement path, gather documents, and get matched with help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Kimball County?
File with the clerk of the Kimball County Court at 114 E. 3rd St., Kimball, NE 69145. Probate belongs in the county court, not the district court, because the county court has exclusive original jurisdiction over decedents' estates (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-517).
What are the Kimball County Court hours?
The Kimball County Court is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Call 308-235-2831 before you go if a weather closure, holiday, or filing timing issue could affect your trip.
Do I need a lawyer for Kimball County probate?
Nebraska law allows self-representation, but the Judicial Branch warns that filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help. If your estate settlement involves contested issues, real estate sale authority, inheritance tax, or uncertain heirs, legal help is often the safer path.
How much does Kimball County probate cost to file?
The base fee is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with later informal petitions or applications also charged under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125. Formal probate is charged by a gross value schedule that runs from $22 for estates of $1,000 or less to $1,500 for estates over $5,000,000 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125). Confirm the current counter total with the clerk before filing.
Can I avoid probate with an affidavit in Kimball County?
Possibly. Nebraska has an Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, CC 15:40, for personal property when the statutory conditions are met, including the $100,000 ceiling raised by 2022 Neb. Laws LB 1124, signed April 18, 2022 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125). Nebraska also has an Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, CC 15:41, with a separate $100,000 ceiling raised by 2024 Neb. Laws LB 1195, signed April 15, 2024; that document is recorded with the register of deeds where the land is located (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129).
Is there a Nebraska inheritance tax, and who gets paid?
Yes. Nebraska inheritance tax is a county tax: the Kimball 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, § 77-2004). 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).
Can I send Kimball County probate filings by fax or email?
A person filing without a lawyer may file by fax with the uniform cover sheet until July 1, 2028, subject to Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). Nebraska attorneys must use electronic filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202. Email filings are not allowed in Nebraska courts (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212), so use the clerk's email only for questions.
Can I appear by phone or video for a Kimball County probate hearing?
Nebraska law allows nonevidentiary hearings, and evidentiary hearings approved by the county court with all appearing parties' stipulation, to be heard by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). Kimball County is in the twelfth county judge district, whose local technology rule says certain hearings may use telephone or cloud-based applications at the presiding judge's discretion. Ask the clerk how to request a remote hearing for your specific date.
How do I look up a Kimball County probate case?
Use Nebraska.gov's statewide JUSTICE case search at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. A general search list is free, viewing case details is $2, document images do not add another charge, and frequent users may use an annual $100 Nebraska.gov subscriber account. The same case information is free at courthouse kiosks and law libraries.
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.