Divorce Clinic

Each district court has specific local rules that may apply in your case. Check with the clerk of the district court in your county. If you fail to follow the local rules, you may not be able to finish your case.

Pro Se Divorce

Divorce can be complicated, and disputes over children and property make them even more complicated. Representing yourself in such cases may not be appropriate or wise. Although it is up to you to decide whether and how you use a lawyer in your divorce, the law does allow you to do your divorce by yourself, known as proceeding pro se (pronounced "pro-say"). Another option is to hire a lawyer to do only part of your divorce. This is called Limited Scope Representation.

Facts About Filing for Divorce in Nebraska

• You or your spouse must be a resident of Nebraska for at least one (1) year before filing your divorce with the court. The one exception is when you were married in Nebraska, have been married less than one (1) year, and have lived in Nebraska the entire time since your marriage.
• You start the legal process by filing a Complaint for Dissolution with the clerk of the district court in the county where you or your spouse lives.
• There is a cost to file a Complaint for Dissolution. Once you file, you will be given a case number for your case. This number must be on all documents you file with the court in the future.
• If one or both individuals changed their name and wants to have their former name restored, they must individually ask the court to restore their former name using the Complaint for Dissolution (if Plaintiff) or the Answer and Counterclaim (if Defendant).
• If you are filing for a divorce without a lawyer, you must complete all the necessary forms. The clerk of the district court cannot help you prepare any legal documents and can provide only limited information about the process.
• Once you have filed your Complaint for Dissolution, it is important that you inform the clerk of the district court if your or your spouse’s address changes. If your address is confidential under Nebraska or Federal law, provide only the county and state and provide an alternative address for mailing of notice.
• The Parenting Act Information Brochure (Spanish Version available) contains helpful information for you about the court process and parenting issues. The clerk of the district court will provide you with a copy of it. Additional information about divorce, parenting and support is also found at this link.
• You and your spouse must develop a written parenting plan that addresses legal custody, physical custody, and parenting time.
• There are two types of custody defined by statute – legal and physical – which can be awarded jointly to the parties or solely to one or the other.  If your spouse and you are awarded joint custody, it may affect the amount of child support the court orders.
• You must submit a Financial Affidavit for Child Support and a proposed Child Support Calculation.  
• Both you and your spouse need to take a parenting education class. 

For more information on the process and necessary forms, click on the links below:

Disclaimer: information on this page is from the Nebraska Supreme Court.