Nebraska Probate Court Finder
For detailed information about the probate court procedures in your county, including relevant forms, fees, and contact information, please enter your ZIP code or select your county. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the probate court in your area.
Nebraska Probate Courts
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Sarpy County Probate Court
County Seat: (Papillion) FIPS: 31153 - pop.190,604 -
Lancaster County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lincoln) FIPS: 31109 - pop.322,608 -
Sarpy County Probate Court
County Seat: (Papillion) FIPS: 31153 - pop.190,604 -
Hall County Probate Court
County Seat: (Grand Island) FIPS: 31079 - pop.62,895 -
Buffalo County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kearney) FIPS: 31019 - pop.50,084 -
Dodge County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fremont) FIPS: 31053 - pop.37,167 -
Scotts Bluff County Probate Court
County Seat: (Gering) FIPS: 31157 - pop.36,084 -
Madison County Probate Court
County Seat: (Madison) FIPS: 31119 - pop.35,585 -
Lincoln County Probate Court
County Seat: (North Platte) FIPS: 31111 - pop.34,676 -
Platte County Probate Court
County Seat: (Columbus) FIPS: 31141 - pop.34,296 -
Adams County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hastings) FIPS: 31001 - pop.31,205 -
Cass County Probate Court
County Seat: (Plattsmouth) FIPS: 31025 - pop.26,598 -
Dawson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lexington) FIPS: 31047 - pop.24,111 -
Saunders County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wahoo) FIPS: 31155 - pop.22,278 -
Gage County Probate Court
County Seat: (Beatrice) FIPS: 31067 - pop.21,704 -
Dakota County Probate Court
County Seat: (Dakota City) FIPS: 31043 - pop.21,582 -
Washington County Probate Court
County Seat: (Blair) FIPS: 31177 - pop.20,865 -
Seward County Probate Court
County Seat: (Seward) FIPS: 31159 - pop.17,609 -
Otoe County Probate Court
County Seat: (Nebraska City) FIPS: 31131 - pop.15,912 -
Saline County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wilber) FIPS: 31151 - pop.14,292 -
York County Probate Court
County Seat: (York) FIPS: 31185 - pop.14,125 -
Box Butte County Probate Court
County Seat: (Alliance) FIPS: 31013 - pop.10,842 -
Red Willow County Probate Court
County Seat: (McCook) FIPS: 31145 - pop.10,702 -
Colfax County Probate Court
County Seat: (Schuyler) FIPS: 31037 - pop.10,582 -
Custer County Probate Court
County Seat: (Broken Bow) FIPS: 31041 - pop.10,545 -
Holt County Probate Court
County Seat: (O'Neill) FIPS: 31089 - pop.10,127 -
Wayne County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wayne) FIPS: 31179 - pop.9,697 -
Cheyenne County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sidney) FIPS: 31033 - pop.9,468 -
Hamilton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Aurora) FIPS: 31081 - pop.9,429 -
Cuming County Probate Court
County Seat: (West Point) FIPS: 31039 - pop.9,013 -
Phelps County Probate Court
County Seat: (Holdrege) FIPS: 31137 - pop.8,968 -
Knox County Probate Court
County Seat: (Center) FIPS: 31107 - pop.8,391 -
Cedar County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hartington) FIPS: 31027 - pop.8,380 -
Butler County Probate Court
County Seat: (David City) FIPS: 31023 - pop.8,369 -
Keith County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ogallala) FIPS: 31101 - pop.8,335 -
Dawes County Probate Court
County Seat: (Chadron) FIPS: 31045 - pop.8,199 -
Richardson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Falls City) FIPS: 31147 - pop.7,871 -
Merrick County Probate Court
County Seat: (Central City) FIPS: 31121 - pop.7,668 -
Pierce County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pierce) FIPS: 31139 - pop.7,317 -
Jefferson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fairbury) FIPS: 31095 - pop.7,240 -
Nemaha County Probate Court
County Seat: (Auburn) FIPS: 31127 - pop.7,074 -
Thurston County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pender) FIPS: 31173 - pop.6,773 -
Burt County Probate Court
County Seat: (Tekamah) FIPS: 31021 - pop.6,722 -
Kearney County Probate Court
County Seat: (Minden) FIPS: 31099 - pop.6,688 -
Howard County Probate Court
County Seat: (Saint Paul) FIPS: 31093 - pop.6,475 -
Antelope County Probate Court
County Seat: (Neligh) FIPS: 31003 - pop.6,295 -
Clay County Probate Court
County Seat: (Clay Center) FIPS: 31035 - pop.6,104 -
Stanton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Stanton) FIPS: 31167 - pop.5,842 -
Dixon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ponca) FIPS: 31051 - pop.5,606 -
Fillmore County Probate Court
County Seat: (Geneva) FIPS: 31059 - pop.5,551 -
Cherry County Probate Court
County Seat: (Valentine) FIPS: 31031 - pop.5,455 -
Boone County Probate Court
County Seat: (Albion) FIPS: 31011 - pop.5,379 -
Johnson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Tecumseh) FIPS: 31097 - pop.5,290 -
Polk County Probate Court
County Seat: (Osceola) FIPS: 31143 - pop.5,214 -
Sheridan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rushville) FIPS: 31161 - pop.5,127 -
Thayer County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hebron) FIPS: 31169 - pop.5,034 -
Furnas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Beaver City) FIPS: 31065 - pop.4,636 -
Morrill County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bridgeport) FIPS: 31123 - pop.4,555 -
Nuckolls County Probate Court
County Seat: (Nelson) FIPS: 31129 - pop.4,095 -
Valley County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ord) FIPS: 31175 - pop.4,059 -
Chase County Probate Court
County Seat: (Imperial) FIPS: 31029 - pop.3,893 -
Kimball County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kimball) FIPS: 31105 - pop.3,434 -
Webster County Probate Court
County Seat: (Red Cloud) FIPS: 31181 - pop.3,395 -
Nance County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fullerton) FIPS: 31125 - pop.3,380 -
Harlan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Alma) FIPS: 31083 - pop.3,073 -
Sherman County Probate Court
County Seat: (Loup City) FIPS: 31163 - pop.2,959 -
Brown County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ainsworth) FIPS: 31017 - pop.2,903 -
Franklin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Franklin) FIPS: 31061 - pop.2,889 -
Perkins County Probate Court
County Seat: (Grant) FIPS: 31135 - pop.2,858 -
Hitchcock County Probate Court
County Seat: (Trenton) FIPS: 31087 - pop.2,616 -
Pawnee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pawnee City) FIPS: 31133 - pop.2,544 -
Frontier County Probate Court
County Seat: (Stockville) FIPS: 31063 - pop.2,519 -
Greeley County Probate Court
County Seat: (Greeley) FIPS: 31077 - pop.2,188 -
Gosper County Probate Court
County Seat: (Elwood) FIPS: 31073 - pop.1,893 -
Garden County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oshkosh) FIPS: 31069 - pop.1,874 -
Deuel County Probate Court
County Seat: (Chappell) FIPS: 31049 - pop.1,838 -
Garfield County Probate Court
County Seat: (Burwell) FIPS: 31071 - pop.1,813 -
Boyd County Probate Court
County Seat: (Butte) FIPS: 31015 - pop.1,810 -
Dundy County Probate Court
County Seat: (Benkelman) FIPS: 31057 - pop.1,654 -
Rock County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bassett) FIPS: 31149 - pop.1,262 -
Sioux County Probate Court
County Seat: (Harrison) FIPS: 31165 - pop.1,135 -
Hayes County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hayes Center) FIPS: 31085 - pop.856 -
Wheeler County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bartlett) FIPS: 31183 - pop.774 -
Keya Paha County Probate Court
County Seat: (Springview) FIPS: 31103 - pop.769 -
Logan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Stapleton) FIPS: 31113 - pop.716 -
Hooker County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mullen) FIPS: 31091 - pop.711 -
Banner County Probate Court
County Seat: (Harrisburg) FIPS: 31007 - pop.674 -
Thomas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Thedford) FIPS: 31171 - pop.669 -
Grant County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hyannis) FIPS: 31075 - pop.611 -
Loup County Probate Court
County Seat: (Taylor) FIPS: 31115 - pop.607 -
Arthur County Probate Court
County Seat: (Arthur) FIPS: 31005 - pop.434 -
Blaine County Probate Court
County Seat: (Brewster) FIPS: 31009 - pop.431 -
McPherson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Tryon) FIPS: 31117 - pop.399
How Nebraska Probate Courts Work
What Is Probate?
Probate refers to the legal process through which a deceased person's will is validated by a court. This process ensures that the deceased's assets are distributed according to their wishes as stated in the will, after any debts and taxes are paid.
What Are Probate Courts?
Probate courts, which are specialized judicial bodies, oversee these proceedings.
They also handle matters related to:
- estate administration,
- guardianships, and conservatorships
- when a will is not present
- or in cases of dispute.
It's important to note that the specific procedures and requirements of probate courts can vary significantly from one county to another across the United States. This variation is due to differences in state laws and local court rules. As a result, engaging with a probate court in one jurisdiction might be quite different from doing so in another.
Also, every state has simplified procedures for dealing with small estates... and most estates end up being "small," and most estates do not require the full probate process, especially if the deceased person owned property in one or more of the ways described below.
Types of Property That Does NOT Pass Through Probate Court
Many types of property are designed to bypass the probate process, allowing for a more streamlined transfer of assets upon someone's death. These include:
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Jointly Owned Property: Assets owned in joint tenancy with the right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety automatically pass to the surviving owner without the need for probate. This is common with real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles owned jointly by two or more individuals.
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Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) Accounts: Financial accounts and securities that are designated as payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) can be transferred directly to the named beneficiary upon the account holder's death. This designation allows these assets to skip probate.
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Retirement Accounts and Life Insurance Policies: Funds from retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, and the proceeds from life insurance policies, when a beneficiary is named outside of the will, do not go through probate. These assets go directly to the beneficiaries named in the policies or account documents.
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Living Trusts: Property held in a living trust is another major category that avoids probate. The trust owns the assets, and upon the death of the individual who created the trust (the grantor), the property is transferred according to the terms of the trust, without the need for probate intervention.
These mechanisms are designed to simplify the transfer of assets, reduce the time and cost associated with probate, and ensure privacy since probate is a public process. Understanding which assets fall into these categories can be crucial for estate planning and ensuring a smooth transition of assets to beneficiaries.