Custody and parenting plans are meant to give children stability, but life can change after a divorce, paternity case, or prior custody order. In Nebraska, a parent asking to modify custody generally must prove a material change in circumstances and show that the requested change is in the child’s best interests. This article explains what that standard means, how Nebraska courts look at issues like co-parenting conflict, school attendance, medical care, alcohol concerns, and joint custody problems, and why documented patterns often matter more than isolated disagreements. It also discusses the unpublished Nebraska Court of Appeals memorandum opinion in Dibbern v. Dibbern as a practical example of how a fact-specific modification dispute can be analyzed.

Is it normal to feel excited about your divorce? For a lot of people, yes — and quietly worrying that something is wrong with you for feeling lighter is one of the most common (and least talked about) parts of the process. In this post, a Nebraska family lawyer and Parenting Act mediator with thirteen years of practice walks through why relief and grief so often coexist, what Nebraska's no-fault dissolution framework actually requires, how to handle strong feelings during a pending case so they don't accidentally hurt your custody or finances, and what to do if your honest reaction is closer to grief than to celebration.

Learn how protection orders work in Nebraska, including domestic abuse, harassment, and sexual assault protection orders. This guide explains how to file, what evidence courts look for, what happens at a hearing, how long an order may last, and how protection orders can affect custody, housing, pets, firearms, and related family law issues.

Divorce can make it feel necessary to prove, over and over again, that your ex was the problem. But in Nebraska, divorce is generally not about proving fault. This post explains why building an emotional case against your ex can increase conflict, distract from the legal issues that matter, and make the process harder than it needs to be. It also explains when a spouse’s conduct may still matter, especially in cases involving children, safety, finances, or credibility, and how to focus your energy on protecting your future instead of relitigating the past.

Divorce in Nebraska is emotional, but the courtroom is not designed to provide vindication. This article explains why it is often smarter to treat divorce as a financial and family restructuring process rather than a battle to “win.” Learn how Nebraska’s no-fault divorce law, equitable property division, custody standards, mediation, and cost-benefit decision-making can help you protect your future without wasting resources on fights that do not move your life forward.

The most expensive divorce mistakes don't usually happen in a courtroom — they happen in the weeks between deciding to divorce and the day a Nebraska judge signs the decree, when emotion takes the wheel and one quick financial move changes how the marital estate gets divided. After more than thirteen years of practicing Nebraska family law, I walk through how the state's equitable distribution rules and dissipation doctrine actually work, what temporary orders typically address, and the practical, sober steps to take in your first sixty days — all grounded in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-365 and the Nebraska appellate cases that shape these decisions.

Wondering what a divorce actually costs in Nebraska? The honest answer is that the price tag has less to do with the legal standard for ending a marriage and everything to do with how much disagreement exists over property, parenting, and support. This plain-English guide walks through the Nebraska statutes that govern timing, mediation, equitable division, and child support; explains why contested cases cost so much more than uncontested ones; and lays out practical ways Nebraska clients keep their legal fees under control — without the fearmongering you see in most legal content online.

Before you make major decisions about a Nebraska divorce, there is one step that protects you more than any document checklist or consultation call: writing down your three non-negotiables. They are the specific outcomes that, if lost, would make the divorce feel like a failure — no matter what the decree says on paper. Here is how they work under Nebraska's equitable-distribution and best-interests rules, why three is the right number, and how to use them to prepare for your first meeting with a family law attorney.

A proposed 2026 constitutional amendment — the Fairness for Girls initiative — would reshape Nebraska's approach to transgender athletes by embedding restrictions directly into the state constitution rather than passing them as a statute. What does that actually mean for Nebraska families, schools, and voters? A Lincoln attorney breaks down the initiative process, the signature and county-distribution requirements, federal Title IX concerns, and what parents of transgender youth should know before the petition reaches the ballot.

Can you move out of Nebraska with your child after divorce? Sometimes, but not without a careful look at Nebraska custody law. This post explains how Nebraska courts handle relocation requests, what counts as a legitimate reason to move, how best interests are analyzed, and why details like housing, school plans, parenting time, and the child’s ties to Nebraska matter so much.

Can a Nebraska court refuse to terminate parental rights even after serious misconduct? Yes, and the answer is more nuanced than many parents expect. In this Nebraska family law update, we break down Dunham v. Dunham and explain why the Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of a petition to terminate parental rights despite serious facts in the record. The article walks through what Nebraska law actually requires, how best interests differs from statutory grounds, how incarceration fits into the analysis, and why termination is treated as an extraordinary remedy rather than a default solution in every difficult custody case.

When your ex is struggling with mental illness, co-parenting can feel like walking a tightrope between protecting your child and protecting a person you once loved. In this post, I walk through what Nebraska law actually says about custody and mental health, why running straight to court often makes things worse, and how thoughtful, collaborative planning — not courtroom combat — tends to produce the best outcomes for kids and families. Plus a practical FAQ for the questions Nebraska parents are really asking.

When my own marriage ended, it took my ex-spouse and me more than three years of hard, humbling work to learn how to communicate and co-parent in a way that actually served our daughter. Today we are friends. As a Nebraska family law attorney who has sat on both sides of the table, I wrote this honest guide for parents in the middle of a divorce — what Nebraska law actually asks of you, why marriages really fall apart, and the small habits that move co-parents from courtroom adversaries to functional partners.

The Fairfax tragedy is heartbreaking, but it also raises legal questions Nebraska families ask every day when divorce, custody, safety concerns, and planning for children all collide. This post explains what Nebraska courts can and cannot do when conflict escalates, including temporary orders, protection orders, custody restrictions, mediation, and why estate planning matters more than many people realize during a family crisis.

Child custody cases in Nebraska are rarely as simple as people hope. Even though judges all apply the same “best interests of the child” standard, different judges can weigh stability, credibility, conflict, communication, and practical day-to-day parenting realities in very different ways. This article explains how Nebraska custody law actually works, why judicial discretion matters, and what parents should understand about parenting plans, joint custody, school decisions, mediation, and the evidence that often shapes the final result.

Dividing a family farm or closely held business in a Nebraska divorce is rarely as simple as splitting everything in half. This article explains how Nebraska courts separate marital from nonmarital property, why active versus passive appreciation can make a major difference, how farms and businesses are valued, and what the recent Nebraska Court of Appeals decision in Jeffers v. Jeffers means for real-world divorce cases involving land, corporations, and family operations. It is written to help readers understand the law in plain English while giving them a practical sense of what actually matters when these assets are at stake.  

After 13 years practicing law, one thing has become clear: most Nebraska divorces are not really about who was more wrong. They are about what happens next. This post breaks down what Nebraska divorce law actually focuses on, including residency, waiting periods, parenting plans, mediation, and the practical steps that help people move forward with more clarity and less chaos.

Divorce in Nebraska is more than a life change. It is a legal process with rules about filing, waiting periods, parenting plans, property division, and next steps. This post explains what divorce here actually looks like, what Nebraska courts focus on, and what to gather before you file or respond.

Not every co-parenting disagreement belongs in court. This Nebraska guide explains when a parenting conflict is a real legal issue, when mediation may be the better tool, and what parents should gather before filing.

When Nebraska parents share joint legal custody, disagreements about school, medical care, counseling, and extracurricular activities can turn into ongoing deadlocks. This post explains when those conflicts may justify modifying a parenting plan, what Nebraska courts actually look at, and how a recent Nebraska Court of Appeals decision shows judges can create practical tie-breaking rules without automatically ending joint custody.