How Long Does Divorce Take in Nebraska? 60 Days After Notice

The 60-day waiting period (required by law)

Nebraska Revised Statute § 42-363 prevents the court from hearing a dissolution case or entering a decree until 60 days after service is perfected. Filing the Complaint alone does not start that statutory period.

The Nebraska Judicial Branch counts personal service beginning the next day. When a Voluntary Appearance is filed, it counts the period beginning the next day after filing. No mutual agreement or hardship exception changes that minimum.

This waiting period exists to give couples a structured opportunity to reconcile. In practice, most couples have already decided well before they file, but the statute is rigid — there are no exceptions for hardship, military deployment, or mutual consent.

Uncontested divorce: 2 to 4 months total

An uncontested divorce — where both spouses agree on property, debts, support, and (if applicable) parenting — is the fastest path. Counting from the day you file:

Week 1: File the Complaint with the district court clerk and pay the $200 filing fee, effective July 1, 2026. If your spouse signs and files a Voluntary Appearance, no separate service step is needed.

Weeks 2–8: The 60-day minimum runs after notice is complete. During this time both spouses complete and exchange Property Statements (Worksheets 1–3), Income Statements (Worksheet 4), and — if children are involved — the Child Support Worksheet (Worksheet 5) and Parenting Plan.

Weeks 9–14: After the statutory period has elapsed, the petitioner may pursue the final procedure required by the court. Judges cannot hear the case or enter a decree before the 60 days have passed, and scheduling can add time.

Contested divorce: 6 to 18 months

If the spouses disagree on any major issue — custody, child support amount, who keeps the house, who's responsible for credit-card debt — the case moves into a discovery and negotiation phase. This typically adds 4 to 12 months on top of the statutory minimum.

Most contested Nebraska divorces eventually settle through mediation rather than going to trial. The court will usually order mediation before scheduling a trial date, particularly when minor children are involved.

How county affects the timeline

Lancaster County (Lincoln) and Sarpy County (Papillion/Bellevue) tend to issue uncontested decrees faster than Douglas County (Omaha), simply because Douglas County handles roughly 4× the volume. Expect 2–3 weeks longer in Douglas County for the final decree to come back signed.

Smaller counties (Cass, Saunders, Washington) are often the fastest of all — sometimes the judge signs the decree the same week it's submitted.