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Perkins County, NE Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Perkins County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Perkins County Court |
| Courthouse address | 200 Lincoln Avenue, Grant, NE 69140 |
| Mailing address | Perkins County Court, P.O. Box 222, Grant, NE 69140 |
| Phone | 308-352-7530 |
| Fax | 308-352-7532. A person filing without a lawyer may use fax filing with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B), subject to the rule's limits. |
| [email protected]. The county website also lists [email protected] for the same office. Email is for questions, not case filings, because Nebraska court rules do not allow email filings (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212). | |
| Hours | 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, closed weekends and holidays. |
| Filing fee | As of the statewide schedule effective July 1, 2026, $22 is the Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125 base 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 before filing. |
| Local forms | Perkins County does not provide a local probate packet on its county courts contact page. Use the statewide estate forms and the fax cover sheet described below. |
| 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). Neb. Ct. R. § 2-216 addresses optional non-attorney electronic filing registration only if approved and available, so confirm with the clerk before relying on it. |
| Case search | Statewide trial court case search is through Nebraska.gov on the Judicial Branch's JUSTICE case management system: https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. A general search list is free; viewing case details is $2 per case, 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). Perkins County is in the eleventh county judge district, whose remote hearing rule requires the moving party to coordinate the hearing at least 5 days in advance, except in an emergency, and submit exhibits at least 5 days in advance. |
| County judge district | Eleventh county judge district (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-503). |
| Website | Judicial Branch court page: https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/perkins-county-court. County courts contact page: https://perkinscounty.ne.gov/clerk-of-district-court/. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Perkins County filing path, make a practical list of the decedent's assets, debts, beneficiary designations, real estate, vehicle titles, and account locations. The right estate settlement route depends on what must be transferred and whether someone needs authority as personal representative.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find financial accounts and organize what belongs in the probate file, what may pass outside probate, and what questions should go to a Nebraska attorney before anything is filed in the town of Grant.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Perkins County is filed with the clerk of the Perkins County Court at 200 Lincoln Avenue in the town of Grant, Nebraska, with mail sent to P.O. Box 222, Grant, NE 69140. The court serves Perkins County communities including Grant, Elsie, Madrid and Venango.
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). Perkins County sits in Nebraska's eleventh county judge district, which is how county judges and county court local rules are assigned; the estate filing still goes to the Perkins County Court (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 a county where the decedent's property was located at death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2410).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Nebraska track. An 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 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2216). A formal probate uses a petition to the court and proceeds with notice.
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, contact information for heirs and devisees, a working asset list, and debt information. Informal probate cannot issue until at least 120 hours have elapsed since death (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2415).
- Deliver the application or petition to the clerk of the Perkins County Court at 200 Lincoln Avenue in the town of Grant, mail it to P.O. Box 222, Grant, NE 69140, or, if you are filing without a lawyer, fax it to 308-352-7532 with the uniform cover sheet required by Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). A Nebraska attorney must use electronic filing under Neb. Ct. R. § 2-202.
- Pay the filing fee required by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125. As of the statewide schedule effective July 1, 2026, the statutory informal base is $22 for a proceeding commenced and closed informally, while formal probate uses the gross value schedule in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125. Ask the clerk for the current amount due at the counter.
- If a hearing is set, ask early about telephone or videoconference procedures under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704. In the eleventh county judge district, the moving party must coordinate a remote hearing with the court at least 5 days in advance, except in an emergency, and submit exhibits to the court and the other parties at least 5 days in advance.
- After appointment, the clerk publishes notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks, with first publication within thirty days after appointment; the party or attorney must mail the published notice and prove mailing as required by statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483). Creditor claims tied to that notice are barred unless presented within two months after the first publication, subject to the statute's limited extension procedure (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2485).
- Give the required Department of Health and Human Services notice if the decedent was 55 or older or resided in a medical institution, because the notice rule is part of Nebraska's creditor notice statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2483).
- Obtain letters testamentary if there is a will, or letters of administration if there is no will. The court provides one certified copy of letters of appointment without charge when the formal fee schedule applies (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125).
- Administer the estate: collect assets, keep estate funds separate, address claims, prepare the inventory and accounting work needed for the case, and handle the Nebraska inheritance tax. The Perkins County Court determines the inheritance tax, which is paid to the county and is due twelve months after the date of death; rates and exemptions depend on the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent and whether the death was before or on or after January 1, 2023 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2004, § 77-2010, § 77-2018.01).
- Distribute property only after authority, claims, tax, and title issues are handled, then close the estate with the appropriate closing statement when the Nebraska Probate Code allows it (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,128).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Perkins County
Perkins County does not provide a local probate packet on its county courts contact page. The statewide forms most often relevant before or beside probate are CC 15:40, Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, revised July 2022, under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125, and CC 15:41, Affidavit for Transfer of Real Property without Probate, revised October 2025, under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129.
The Judicial Branch provides no fillable statewide application for informal probate, petition for formal probate, Letters request, or inventory form for starting a decedent's estate case. Its estate materials include a flowchart for informal probate filed with a will, but that flowchart does not apply when there is no will, when the will is contested, or when the estate or asset distribution is contested. See https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates.
If you file by fax without a lawyer, include the uniform fax cover sheet required by Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). Email is for questions only and is not a filing method in Nebraska courts (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212).
Local nuance
Perkins County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Perkins County estate |
|---|---|
| Grant means the courthouse city | The Perkins County Court is in the town of Grant, Nebraska. Keep the county name attached to the courthouse city when mailing or planning a visit. |
| 4:00 pm close | The Perkins County Court hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, with weekends and holidays closed. Plan same-day filings around the 4:00 pm close. |
| Two email domains | The Judicial Branch lists [email protected], and the county website also lists [email protected] for the same office. Use email for questions only, not case filings (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212). |
| Eleventh district remote rule | A remote hearing request in Perkins County must follow Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704 and the eleventh county judge district rule. Coordinate with the court at least 5 days before the hearing, except in an emergency, and submit exhibits at least 5 days before the hearing. |
Recent updates
No Perkins County probate filing change beyond the local contact details and eleventh district remote hearing procedure is included here.
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Perkins County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by confirming how the home is titled and whether any asset needs letters from the Perkins County Court. If no court authority is needed, a no-probate affidavit may be enough for some property, including the real property affidavit recorded with the register of deeds under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129 and the personal property affidavit under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deeds, debts, and beneficiary designations so the spouse can see whether estate settlement requires a court filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the estate fits Nebraska's affidavit rules, the child may be able to use CC 15:40 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 for personal property or CC 15:41 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129 for qualifying Nebraska real property, instead of opening a Perkins County Court case. If a court case is needed, filings go to the clerk in the town of Grant by mail, in person, or by fax for a person without a lawyer under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). | Sunset organizes the asset list and prepares questions for a Nebraska attorney so travel decisions are based on what actually needs court authority. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of real estate often requires court authority and legal review. In Nebraska, a clerk magistrate may hear some uncontested estate matters, but not an authorization to sell or mortgage real estate, so the issue may need a county judge (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-507, § 24-519). | Sunset assembles accounts, debts, title information, and a probate packet, then connects the family with a vetted local probate attorney when a sale order or title issue is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Clerk of the Perkins County Court | 200 Lincoln Avenue, Grant, NE 69140. Mail: P.O. Box 222, Grant, NE 69140. Phone 308-352-7530. Fax 308-352-7532. Email [email protected]. Hours 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, closed weekends and holidays. Court page: https://nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/perkins-county-court. |
| Perkins County courts contact page | Local contact page for the courthouse office that handles county court administration: https://perkinscounty.ne.gov/clerk-of-district-court/. |
| Nebraska Online Legal Self-Help Center | Virtual self-help materials for self-represented court users, including filing by mail, in person, or fax, and the rule that email is not a filing method. Start at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help. |
| Nebraska Judicial Branch estates section | Estate process information, claims against estates, will deposit information, affidavit materials, and the informal-probate flowchart at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates and https://nebraskajudicial.gov/self-help/estates/additional-information-estates. |
| Statewide forms and fax cover sheet | Use CC 15:40 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125, CC 15:41 under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129, and the uniform fax cover sheet required by Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B). Forms are available through https://nebraskajudicial.gov/forms. |
| Statewide case search | JUSTICE case information is available through Nebraska.gov at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. A general search list is free; case details are $2 per case, and frequent users can open an annual $100 subscriber account through Nebraska.gov. |
| 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 for people 60 and over. Screening depends on household income, assets, and legal issue; listed practice areas focus on family, debt, housing, and benefits rather than estate administration. See https://legalaidofnebraska.org/how-we-help/. |
| Nebraska Free Legal Answers | Free Legal Answers is a virtual civil legal advice clinic at https://ne.freelegalanswers.org/. Volunteer lawyers answer questions online and cannot represent anyone in court; the site's topic list does not include estates. |
| Limited Scope Representation | Nebraska's self-help site describes Limited Scope Representation, where a lawyer may help with part of a case. See 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 filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help and that the Self-Help Center cannot supply documents for every situation; Limited Scope Representation information is available through nebraskajudicial.gov. Sunset connects families in Perkins County to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, organizes likely assets and debts, and gives the family a clearer starting point for estate settlement in Perkins County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family intake into a working packet for the Perkins County Court, including asset summaries, contact lists, and the information a Nebraska attorney or self-represented filer needs to prepare the application or petition.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a house sale, contested family issues, inheritance tax questions, or missing documents, Sunset connects the family with a vetted probate attorney who understands Nebraska county court practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate settlement, understand next steps, and decide whether to file in Perkins County Court or use a Nebraska no-probate affidavit route without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Perkins County?
File with the clerk of the Perkins County Court at 200 Lincoln Avenue in the town of Grant, Nebraska, or mail filings to Perkins County Court, P.O. Box 222, Grant, NE 69140. Nebraska district courts do not hear probate; county courts have exclusive original jurisdiction over decedents' estates (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 24-517).
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Perkins County?
Nebraska law allows a person to represent themselves, but the Judicial Branch says filing an estate will most often require an attorney's help. Counsel is especially useful if the will is contested, a home must be sold, inheritance tax is uncertain, or family members disagree.
How much does Perkins County probate cost to file?
As of the statewide schedule effective July 1, 2026, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125 sets a $22 base for a probate proceeding commenced and closed informally, plus $22 for each later petition or application in an informal proceeding. Formal probate is charged by the gross value of the Nebraska estate at death, up to $1,500 for estates over $5,000,000 (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 33-125). Ask the clerk for the current counter total before filing.
Can I avoid probate in Perkins County with an affidavit?
Sometimes. Nebraska has a personal property affidavit, CC 15:40, under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125, and a real property affidavit, CC 15:41, under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129. The personal property affidavit is presented to the holder of the property, not filed with the court; the real property affidavit is recorded with the register of deeds in the county where the land is located (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,129).
Can I file by fax or email in Perkins County?
A person filing without a lawyer may file by fax to 308-352-7532 with the uniform cover sheet under Neb. Ct. R. § 6-601(B), which every Nebraska court must accept for non-attorney filings 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 method (Neb. Ct. R. § 2-212).
Can I appear by phone or video for a Perkins County probate hearing?
Nebraska law allows nonevidentiary hearings, and evidentiary hearings approved by the court with all appearing parties' stipulation, to be heard by telephone or videoconference (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-2704). Perkins County's eleventh county judge district rule requires the moving party to coordinate a remote hearing at least 5 days in advance, except in an emergency, and submit exhibits at least 5 days in advance.
How do I look up a Perkins County probate case?
Use the Nebraska.gov JUSTICE case search at https://www.nebraska.gov/justice/case.cgi. A general search list is free; viewing case details is $2 per case, with no extra charge for document images, and frequent users can open an annual $100 subscriber account through Nebraska.gov.
What are the Perkins County Court clerk's hours?
The Perkins County Court clerk's office is open 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, closed weekends and holidays. Call 308-352-7530 before you go if timing is close to the 4:00 pm closing time.
Is there a Nebraska inheritance tax, and who do I pay in Perkins County?
Yes. Nebraska is one of the few states with an inheritance tax, and it is a county tax: the Perkins 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. § 77-2004, § 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).
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.