Back to Nebraska
Lancaster County, NE Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Lancaster County Court. Estate matters go to the Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division. |
| Courthouse address | Lancaster County Courthouse, 575 South 10th Street, 2nd Floor, Lincoln, NE 68508. |
| Mailing address | 575 South 10th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. No separate post office box is published for the Lancaster County Court; call the probate desk before mailing an original will. |
| Phone | Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division: 402-441-7443. Main county court line: 402-441-7291. |
| Fax | 402-441-6055, Civil/Probate Division. A person filing without a lawyer who uses fax filing must use the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601. |
| [email protected], for questions only. Nebraska Supreme Court rules do not allow filings by email (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212). | |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 402-441-7443 before traveling because hours can change. |
| Filing fee | Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125, and as reflected in the Judicial Branch fees and costs schedule effective July 1, 2026, the base fee is $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. The same schedule effective July 1, 2026, lists the counter total for an informal probate as $44.00, or $45.00 where there is a will. Confirm the current amount with the clerk of the Lancaster County Court before you file. |
| Local forms | The Lancaster County Court publishes no local probate form, local court cover sheet, or local checklist. State Judicial Branch forms include CC 15:40 and CC 15:41, and the uniform fax cover sheet applies to fax filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601. |
| E-filing | A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing (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. Confirm with 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 through Nebraska.gov, running on the Judicial Branch's JUSTICE case management system at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. General searches for lists of cases are 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, as published by Nebraska.gov in August 2026. 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, in a manner that preserves an accurate record (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). Lancaster County's 3rd county judge district has a remote technology protocol, and the Lancaster County Court publishes Zoom participation rules. |
| County judge district | Lancaster County sits alone in Nebraska's 3rd county judge district, which assigns county judges and county court local rules (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503). |
| Website | Court page: https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/lancaster-county-court. County court page with the probate desk line: https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/376/County-Court. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you go to the courthouse, know what the estate owns and what it owes. In Lancaster County, the route and cost can turn on the asset picture: a formal probate fee is keyed to the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death, meaning the actual value less liens and joint tenancy property (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125), and the affidavit routes depend on the type of property and the applicable statute.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, so a Lancaster County family can see accounts, balances, and debts before choosing between an affidavit route and an informal or formal proceeding. That matters for estate settlement because creditor claims are barred only two months after the first publication of notice when notice is given as required (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2485), and the inheritance tax is due twelve months after the date of death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004).
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Lancaster County is filed with the clerk of the Lancaster County Court at the Lancaster County Courthouse in Lincoln. Estate matters are handled by the Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division on the second floor at 575 South 10th Street.
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).
Lancaster County sits in Nebraska's 3rd county judge district, which is how county judges and the county court's local rules are assigned; the case itself is filed at Lancaster County's own courthouse in Lincoln (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-502; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503). Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, for a decedent not domiciled in Nebraska, any county where the decedent's property was located at death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2410).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Nebraska track. An informal proceeding uses an application to the registrar; a formal proceeding uses a petition to the court with notice to interested persons. 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 application is delivered to the clerk of the Lancaster County Court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216).
- Gather the certified death certificate, the original will if there is one, and the names and addresses of the surviving spouse, children, heirs, and devisees.
- Deliver the application, for an informal proceeding, or the petition, for a formal proceeding, to the Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division of the Lancaster County Court on the second floor of the Lancaster County Courthouse at 575 South 10th Street in Lincoln. A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202). A person filing without a lawyer may come to the counter, mail the documents to the same street address, or use fax filing to the Civil/Probate Division at 402-441-6055 with the uniform cover sheet as the first page, which every Nebraska court must accept until July 1, 2028 (Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601). Filings by email are not allowed in Nebraska courts (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212).
- Pay the filing fee and court costs. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125, and as reflected in the Judicial Branch schedule effective July 1, 2026, the base informal fee is $22 and the published counter total for an informal probate is $44.00, or $45.00 where there is a will. Formal probate is charged by the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death, and the schedule reaches $1,500 for estates over $5,000,000 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125.
- For informal probate, the registrar issues a written statement of informal probate once at least one hundred twenty hours have elapsed since death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2415; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216). For an unopposed formal testacy petition, the court may order probate on the pleadings rather than holding a hearing in open court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2429).
- If a hearing is set and you want to attend by telephone or video, contact the court representative for instructions and any case-specific invitation. Nebraska law permits certain county court hearings by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704), and Lancaster County's 3rd county judge district protocol presumes in-person proceedings while allowing remote technology when the court orders it or when the parties agree and the court permits it.
- After appointment, letters testamentary, where there is a will, or letters of administration, where there is not, are issued to the personal representative. The court provides one certified copy of the letters of appointment without charge under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125.
- The clerk publishes notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks, with the first publication within thirty days after appointment; the personal representative or attorney must mail the published notice and prove the mailing. Claims are barred unless presented within two months after the date of first publication when notice is given as required (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2485).
- Give notice to the Department of Health and Human Services if the decedent was fifty-five or older, or resided in a medical institution (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483).
- Prepare the inventory, collect assets, pay allowed claims, and account to the people entitled to receive property.
- Have the Nebraska inheritance tax determined. The Lancaster County Court determines the inheritance tax and it is paid to the county; it is due twelve months after the date of death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2018.01; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004). Lancaster County's county attorney civil division publishes an inheritance tax contact for that work.
- Distribute what remains and close the estate by closing statement or by the closing route the court directs (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,128).
- If the only Lancaster County property that needs to move is real property and no personal representative is being appointed, the court may not be the filing point. The successor records the Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, form CC 15:41, with the register of deeds of the county where the land sits, not with the court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125).
Executor duties
In Lancaster County, a personal representative should work with the Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division rather than starting with a general courthouse counter. Estate filings and questions about an open estate go to the second floor of 575 South 10th Street in Lincoln, or to 402-441-7443.
If you fax a filing, send it to the Civil/Probate Division at 402-441-6055 with the uniform cover sheet as the first page (Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601). The county court publishes another fax number for criminal and traffic matters, so using the estate fax line matters.
If you need to attend by telephone or video, contact the court representative for instructions and any case-specific invitation. The 3rd county judge district protocol and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704 govern the request, and the Lancaster County Court participation rules require remote participants to use their full legal name, wait to be admitted, appear from a quiet indoor place, and not record the proceeding.
If you will offer exhibits at a remote proceeding, get them to court reporting personnel and to every opposing party before the hearing, in PDF, and take anything running past ten pages in total to the court in hard copy.
Plan for inheritance tax work early. The inheritance tax is due twelve months after the date of death, the Lancaster County Court determines it, and Lancaster County's county attorney civil division publishes an inheritance tax contact for that work (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004).
If Lancaster County real property must be transferred or sold, plan the recording step separately from the court step. The Lancaster County Register of Deeds records instruments tied to the real property affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129, and the office publishes a temporary recording counter at 500 West O Street in Lincoln while construction is underway at the County-City Building. Mail still goes to 555 South 10th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Its recording charges, under its schedule effective January 1, 2013, are $10.00 for the first page and $6.00 for each additional page, and it adds a $6.00 cover page if the required 3 inch by 8.5 inch blank space is missing at the top of the first page. It also requires its own cover sheet when a certified copy of a death certificate is recorded.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Lancaster County
The Lancaster County Court publishes no local probate form, local court cover sheet, or local probate checklist. The county court page gives the Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division phone and fax numbers, address, hours, court date inquiry, and payment link, but it does not publish a form for opening an estate.
The Nebraska Judicial Branch form list includes CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, revised July 2022, for the personal property affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125. It also includes CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, revised October 2025, for the real property affidavit recorded with the register of deeds under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. The form list is at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/forms, with PDFs at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/sites/default/files/CC-15-40.pdf and https://nebraskajudicial.gov/sites/default/files/CC-15-41.pdf.
The Judicial Branch also publishes the uniform fax cover sheet at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/sites/default/files/Ch6Art6App1.pdf. That cover sheet is mandatory only when a person filing without a lawyer uses fax filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601.
The Judicial Branch does not publish a form for the application that opens an informal probate, the petition that opens a formal probate, Letters, or an inventory. Its estates self-help materials say the Self-Help Center cannot provide forms for all possible situations in the process. The informal probate flowchart at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/sites/default/files/AD-2-26.pdf applies only to an uncontested estate with a will and does not apply when there is no will, the will is contested, or the estate or distribution is contested.
One Lancaster County form can matter to real property, but it is not a court form. The Lancaster County Register of Deeds requires a General Death Certificate Cover Sheet when a certified copy of a death certificate is recorded. That office is the recording office for the real property affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129, not the county court.
Local nuance
Lancaster County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for estate settlement |
|---|---|
| Direct probate line | The Lancaster County Court publishes a Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division with its own direct line, 402-441-7443. Use that number for estate questions before using the main county court line. |
| Correct probate fax | The estate fax is 402-441-6055, the Civil/Probate Division line. A person filing without a lawyer may use fax filing with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601, so the division fax matters. |
| Judicial administrator | Lancaster County is one of the Nebraska counties where the county court's administrative office is held by a judicial administrator rather than the officer title used in most Nebraska counties. Use the practical phrase, the clerk of the Lancaster County Court. |
| Single-county district | Lancaster County alone makes up the 3rd county judge district, and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503 gives that district seven county judges. The district assigns judges and local rules; it does not move the filing counter. |
| Remote appearance rules | The 3rd county judge district remote technology protocol, approved February 8, 2023, presumes in-person proceedings but allows remote technology when the court orders it or when the parties agree and the court permits it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). The Lancaster County Court also publishes Zoom participation rules that treat remote participation by a personal representative or interested person in a nonevidentiary hearing as a privilege the court may revoke, not a right. |
| Three South 10th Street addresses | 575 South 10th Street is the Lancaster County Courthouse and county court. 555 South 10th Street is the County-City Building and is the register of deeds mailing address. 605 South 10th Street is the county attorney civil division address. |
| Register of deeds relocation | For real property work under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129, the Lancaster County Register of Deeds publishes that its recording counter has temporarily moved to 500 West O Street in Lincoln while construction is underway at the County-City Building. The office lists hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and says mailed items should still go to Lancaster County Register of Deeds, 555 South 10th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Call 402-441-7463 or check the office page before going because the relocation is temporary. |
| Recording requirements | The Lancaster County Register of Deeds schedule effective January 1, 2013, lists $10.00 for the first page and $6.00 for each additional page, plus $6.00 for a cover page if the required top blank space is missing. These are recording charges for that office, not county court filing fees under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125. |
| Inheritance tax contact | The Lancaster County Attorney civil division publishes an inheritance tax contact and lists its main line as 402-441-7321 at 605 South 10th Street, 2nd Floor, Lincoln, NE 68508. The Lancaster County Court determines the inheritance tax and it is paid to the county (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2018.01; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004). |
Recent updates
| Change | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol for Use of Remote Technology for Court Proceedings in the 3rd county judge district | Approved February 8, 2023 | The protocol presumes in-person proceedings, allows the court to order a proceeding without witness testimony by oral examination to be heard by remote technology, allows any proceeding to be heard that way by agreement of the parties and with the court's permission, and directs the parties to contact the court representative for instructions and any case-specific invitation (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | If the Lancaster County home was held in joint tenancy, the house may not be what drives the county court filing because joint tenancy property is excluded from gross value for the formal fee calculation under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125. The accounts, vehicle, and debts may still require a personal representative. If one is needed, the filing goes to the Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division at 575 South 10th Street in Lincoln, or by fax to 402-441-6055 with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601. Informal probate cannot issue until one hundred twenty hours have elapsed since death, and the registrar acts under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2415 and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216. Interests passing to a surviving spouse are not subject to the Nebraska inheritance tax, but the tax determination still belongs in the estate plan (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004). | Sunset finds accounts and balances across more than 2,300 institutions so the spouse can see whether an estate needs to be opened or whether joint property and beneficiary designations already move the major assets. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the parent was domiciled in Lancaster County, venue is here under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2410. If only personal property needs to move and the statutory conditions are met, the claiming successor presents CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, revised July 2022, to the bank, employer, or transfer agent holding the property, and does not file it with the court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125). If an estate must be opened, a person without a lawyer may mail the documents to 575 South 10th Street or use fax filing to 402-441-6055 with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601. If a hearing is set, ask the court representative about telephone or video participation under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704 and the 3rd county judge district protocol. | Sunset assembles the asset picture remotely, so an out-of-state child can decide whether the affidavit route reaches the property before making a trip to Lincoln. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If a Lincoln house must be sold, the estate generally needs authority through the county court so letters can issue to a personal representative. The real property affidavit, CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, revised October 2025, is recorded with the register of deeds and is not a sale authority route (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125). When a deed or real property affidavit must be recorded in Lancaster County, the Register of Deeds publishes a temporary recording counter at 500 West O Street in Lincoln, mail to 555 South 10th Street, and recording charges under its schedule effective January 1, 2013, of $10.00 for the first page and $6.00 for each additional page. The inheritance tax determination is due twelve months after death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2010; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004). | Sunset builds the asset and liability picture, including what is owed against the home, so the parent begins estate settlement knowing what the sale has to cover. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it helps with | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County Court | Court address, main phone, division faxes, hours, and the clerk's published email for questions. Estate filings go to the county court, not the district court. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/lancaster-county-court |
| Lancaster County Court page | Direct Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division line, second-floor address, hours, court date inquiry, and court payment link. | https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/376/County-Court |
| Lancaster County Court Zoom information | County court Zoom information and participation rules. Confirm current connection details with the court at 402-441-7291 before the hearing. | https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/1150/Zoom-Information |
| County court local rules for the 3rd county judge district | Local county court rules, including the remote technology protocol approved February 8, 2023. No probate procedure rule is published there. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/external-court-rules/county-court-local-rules/district-3 |
| Nebraska Online Legal Self-Help Center | Virtual self-help information, including fax filing mechanics and the rule that filings by email are not allowed. Court employees cannot give legal advice or prepare filings. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help |
| Estates section of the self-help center | Estate process information, claims against estates, deposit of will information, informal probate flowchart, and affidavit information. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates |
| Additional Information: Estates | Judicial Branch explanation that the law allows self-representation but filing an estate will most often require attorney help. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates/additional-information-estates |
| Nebraska court calendar search | Free lookup of an upcoming Lancaster County Court date by county court and either date or last name. An empty result does not necessarily mean there is no court date. | https://www.nebraska.gov/courts/calendar/index.cgi |
| Statewide trial court case search | JUSTICE case search through Nebraska.gov. General searches for case lists are free; viewing case details costs $2 as published in August 2026, with no extra charge for document images. | https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi |
| Lancaster County Register of Deeds | Recording office for real property affidavits under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129 and deeds from an estate. The office publishes a temporary recording counter at 500 West O Street and mail to 555 South 10th Street. | https://www.lancaster.ne.gov/1483/Register-of-Deeds |
| Legal Aid of Nebraska | Statewide AccessLine 1.877.250.2016, Monday and Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central; ElderAccessLine 1.800.527.7249 for people 60 and over in all 93 counties. Screening depends on income, assets, and legal issue, and the published practice areas are family, debt, housing, and benefits rather than estate administration. | https://legalaidofnebraska.org/how-we-help/ |
| Nebraska Free Legal Answers | Free written answers from Nebraska-licensed volunteer attorneys for qualifying civil legal questions. The published topic list does not include estates, and volunteers cannot call you or represent you in court. | https://ne.freelegalanswers.org/ |
| Limited Scope Representation | Judicial Branch information about hiring a lawyer for part of a case rather than the whole case. | https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help |
When to hire an attorney
Nebraska does not require a personal representative to hire a lawyer, and the Judicial Branch's 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. In Lancaster County, counsel often makes sense because there is no Judicial Branch form for the application or petition that opens an estate, the county attorney civil division is involved in inheritance tax work, and remote testimony disputes can involve a statutory good-cause procedure. Nebraska's Limited Scope Representation information on nebraskajudicial.gov can help families hire a lawyer for only part of a case. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, balances, and debts before the family chooses a Lancaster County estate settlement path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for the Lancaster County Court filing, including the asset list, family information, and supporting documents. That matters because the Judicial Branch does not publish a fill-in form for the application or petition that opens an estate.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Lancaster County matter needs legal judgment, a real property sale, a contested claim, or inheritance tax guidance, Sunset connects the family with a vetted probate attorney familiar with Nebraska county court practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to start the estate settlement process, organize assets and liabilities, and understand next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Lancaster County, Nebraska?
File with the clerk of the Lancaster County Court at the Probate, Adoption and Condemnation Division on the second floor of the Lancaster County Courthouse, 575 South 10th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. The direct probate desk line is 402-441-7443 and the main county court line is 402-441-7291. 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). Venue follows the decedent's domicile at death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2410).
What are the clerk's hours at the Lancaster County Court?
The Lancaster County Court lists hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. No midday closure or filing cutoff is published for the county court. Call the probate desk at 402-441-7443 before traveling because hours can change.
Do I need a lawyer to settle an estate in Lancaster County?
Nebraska law allows self-representation, and the Judicial Branch says so. The same Judicial Branch materials say filing an estate will most often require the help of an attorney, and the Self-Help Center cannot provide forms for every situation. That is especially important in Lancaster County because there is no Judicial Branch form for the application or petition that opens an estate, and the clerk cannot prepare one for you.
How much does it cost to file probate in Lancaster County?
Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125, and as reflected in the Judicial Branch fees and costs schedule effective July 1, 2026, the base fee is $22 for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, with another $22 for each later petition or application in an informal proceeding. The same schedule effective July 1, 2026, lists the informal probate counter total as $44.00, or $45.00 where there is a will, and lists each later informal filing total as $24.00. 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). One certified copy of the letters of appointment is free under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125. Confirm the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Can I file by fax or by email in Lancaster County?
A person filing without a Nebraska attorney may use fax filing to the Lancaster County Court's Civil/Probate Division at 402-441-6055 with the uniform cover sheet as the first page; every Nebraska court must accept that route until July 1, 2028 (Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601). The fax must be fewer than 10 pages not counting the cover sheet unless the clerk approves more pages. Filings by email are not allowed in Nebraska courts (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212), so the clerk's published email is for questions only. A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202).
Can I appear by phone or video for a probate hearing in Lancaster County?
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). Lancaster County's 3rd county judge district protocol presumes in-person proceedings, lets the court order a proceeding without witness testimony by oral examination to be heard remotely, and allows any proceeding to be heard remotely by agreement of the parties and with court permission. Contact the court representative for instructions and any case-specific invitation. The Lancaster County Court's participation rules say remote participation by a personal representative or interested person in a nonevidentiary hearing is a privilege the court may revoke, and recording a remote proceeding is forbidden.
Is there always a hearing in a Lancaster County probate case?
No single answer fits every case. An informal proceeding is conducted without notice to interested persons, and the registrar issues a written statement of informal probate once one hundred twenty hours have elapsed since death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2415; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216). An unopposed formal testacy petition may be decided on the strength of the pleadings rather than in open court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2429). The Lancaster County Court does not publish a probate calendar, so ask the probate desk and use the free Nebraska court calendar search for a scheduled date.
How do I look up a Lancaster County probate case or find my court date?
The Nebraska court calendar search at https://www.nebraska.gov/courts/calendar/index.cgi is free and includes Lancaster County Court dates. The statewide JUSTICE case search through Nebraska.gov at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi is where case information is searched: general searches for lists of cases are free, viewing case details costs $2 as published in August 2026, and a frequent user subscriber account is an annual $100 as published in August 2026. The same case information is free at any courthouse kiosk or law library.
Are there local probate forms for Lancaster County?
The Lancaster County Court publishes no local probate form, local court cover sheet, or local probate checklist. The Judicial Branch form list includes CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, revised July 2022 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125), and CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, revised October 2025 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129). The uniform fax cover sheet applies only to fax filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601. There is no Judicial Branch form for the application or petition that opens an estate, and the clerk cannot prepare one for you.
Can I avoid probate in Lancaster County with an affidavit?
Sometimes, depending on the property and the statute. The personal property affidavit, CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, is presented to the bank, employer, transfer agent, or other holder of the property and is not filed with the court (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125). The real property affidavit, CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, is recorded with the register of deeds of the county where the land sits (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125). In Lancaster County, the Register of Deeds publishes a temporary recording counter at 500 West O Street in Lincoln and mail to 555 South 10th Street.
Is there a Nebraska inheritance tax on a Lancaster County estate, and who do I pay?
Yes. Nebraska is one of the few states with an inheritance tax, and it is a county tax: the Lancaster 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; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2018.01; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 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). Interests passing to a surviving spouse are not subject to the tax. Lancaster County's county attorney civil division publishes an inheritance tax contact and lists its main line as 402-441-7321. There is no Nebraska estate tax for a death on or after January 1, 2007 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2101.01).
Do I have to travel to Lincoln to settle a Lancaster County estate?
Not always. A person filing without a Nebraska attorney may file in person, mail documents to 575 South 10th Street in Lincoln, or use fax filing to 402-441-6055 with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601. If a hearing is set, ask the court representative about telephone or video participation under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704 and the 3rd county judge district protocol. If Lancaster County real property must be recorded, the Register of Deeds has its own counter and mail route, so plan that step separately.
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.