One year after actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death, his widow reportedly sued the trustee of a family trust he created back in 1996 — decades before his marriage, his prenup, and his daughter. The reported allegations raise a question that lands close to home for many Nebraska blended families: what happens when an old trust and a newer prenuptial agreement point in opposite directions? We walk through how Nebraska law actually handles it — claims against revocable trusts, the elective share and its unforgiving deadlines, the will-based protections for omitted spouses and children, and the changes the Legislature just made through LB 838.

Nebraska does not impose a state estate tax for current deaths, but its inheritance tax can still affect what beneficiaries receive. This article explains Nebraska’s beneficiary categories, rates and exemptions, county court process, real-estate lien concerns, and planning issues for spouses, children, unmarried partners, blended families, nieces, nephews, and other beneficiaries.

Delaying estate planning can leave Nebraska families facing court involvement, probate complications, guardianship or conservatorship proceedings, Medicaid issues, and difficult decisions during an already stressful time. This article explains why “we’ll deal with it later” often becomes the most expensive plan of all, and how wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and thoughtful long-term care planning can help protect your choices, your family, and your peace of mind before a crisis happens.

Blended family estate planning is where “simple” plans tend to break. If you’re remarried (or planning to be), leaving everything to your spouse and trusting it will “work out later” can unintentionally disinherit your children from a prior relationship. Nebraska law also adds wrinkles most people don’t see coming, including the elective share and augmented estate rules that can affect what a surviving spouse is entitled to claim, even when a will says otherwise. A good blended-family plan isn’t about picking sides. It’s about building a structure that protects your spouse with real financial security, while also locking in a protected legacy for your children, and coordinating beneficiary designations so your plan actually works when it matters most.

If you’re getting married in Nebraska and one (or both) of you owns a business, expects an inheritance, has significant debt, or has children from a prior relationship, a prenuptial agreement can be one of the smartest planning tools you use. Nebraska prenups are governed by the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 42-1001 to 42-1011), and enforceability usually comes down to process: signing voluntarily, exchanging honest financial disclosure, and avoiding terms that are unconscionable when signed. This post explains what you can (and can’t) include, the most common reasons prenups get challenged, and the practical steps that make an agreement far more likely to hold up later—including a key Nebraska nuance many articles miss: if a support waiver would make a spouse eligible for public assistance at divorce, a court can require support to prevent that outcome.

Your life has eras—so should your Nebraska estate plan. Whether you’re single, partnered, parenting, caregiving, or planning your legacy, your documents need to grow with you. Here’s how to stay legally in tune with every stage of life.