What Does Your Nebraska Family Law Attorney Actually Need You to Gather for Your Case?
If you’re going through a divorce, custody, or parenting-time dispute in Nebraska, your case will rise or fall on the quality of your evidence. Judges in Lancaster County, Douglas County, and across the state are required to make decisions based on proof, not just emotion or competing stories. That means your texts, emails, calendars, financial records, school records, and medical documents matter a lot more than a dramatic courtroom speech.
As your attorney, I can explain the Nebraska Parenting Act, apply the Child Support Guidelines, and argue the law. But I cannot recreate your life from scratch. What I need from you is a clear, organized picture of what has been happening: a timeline of major events, communication records that show patterns, and financial documents that satisfy Nebraska’s mandatory disclosure requirements. When you walk in with that foundation already in place, I can spend my time being a strategist instead of an overpaid file clerk.
This isn’t about perfection or “building a case” against the other parent at every turn. It’s about being accurate, credible, and efficient. Organized clients often save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in legal fees because my team isn’t stuck renaming files, chasing missing statements, or hunting through 500 unlabeled screenshots the night before a hearing. Even better, the judge can actually see the story you’ve been trying to tell, backed up by real evidence that complies with Nebraska law.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what to gather, how to organize it, and where Nebraska-specific rules come into play—like our one-party consent recording law, mandatory financial disclosures, and the way courts talk about “custody” and “parenting time” under the Nebraska Parenting Act. Think of this as your playbook for becoming the kind of client who helps their case move faster, costs less, and lands in front of the judge with a clear, compelling record.
How Getting Organized Helps Your Case Under the Nebraska Parenting Act
Nebraska family law is built around patterns and the “best interests of the child.” Judges look at stability, cooperation, and credibility when they make decisions about legal custody, physical custody, and parenting time under the Nebraska Parenting Act.
If your evidence is organized, your attorney can show those patterns clearly: a history of missed parenting time, repeated violations of a parenting plan, or consistent involvement in school and medical care. When everything is scattered, it’s harder to prove anything beyond “we disagree.”
In a Lincoln divorce or custody case, your organization also helps us:
Prepare accurate Parenting Plans and proposed schedules.
Present a clear child-focused narrative at mediation and trial.
Push back on the other side’s claims with concrete proof instead of general denials.
The more efficiently I can pull the facts and exhibits together, the more of your fee goes toward strategy and persuasion instead of basic cleanup.
What Communication Evidence Should You Save in a Nebraska Custody or Divorce Case?
Communication is often the heart of a family law case. For custody and parenting time disputes, judges want to see how the adults actually interact, not just how they say they interact. That means texts, emails, and messages in co-parenting apps are often front-and-center.
In Nebraska cases, the most useful approach is to export entire conversations rather than sending random screenshots. Full exports preserve dates, times, phone numbers, and the flow of the conversation, which matters for context and admissibility. Tools like iMazing (for texts) or the built-in export features in apps like OurFamilyWizard or TalkingParents are usually worth the effort.
Once you have a PDF or export, create a short “cheat sheet” for your attorney. For example:
“January 12, 2025 – he admits he won’t follow the parenting plan (See Text PDF, p. 14).”
“March 3, 2025 – she refuses to share medication info (OurFamilyWizard export, p. 7).”
Now your lawyer can go straight from your timeline to the exact page that proves your point, instead of scrolling blindly through hundreds of messages.
A Nebraska-Specific Warning on Audio and Video Recordings
Nebraska is a one-party consent state for audio recordings (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 86-290). That means you are generally allowed to record a conversation if you are one of the people participating in it.
Where people get into serious trouble is when they try to record conversations they are not part of, such as:
Hiding a recording device in a child’s room to capture what the other parent says.
Bugging a backpack, car, or home to listen in when you are not present.
Those kinds of recordings can violate state and federal wiretapping laws. They may be inadmissible, and they can expose you to criminal charges.
Photos and videos that you lawfully take in public, at exchanges, or during your parenting time can be extremely helpful to show actual conditions, safety concerns, or a child’s routine. But before you start any kind of secret recording, talk to your attorney. A quick conversation can save you from turning your case into a criminal problem.
Financial Documents and Nebraska’s Mandatory Disclosures
In a Nebraska divorce or legal separation, courts require thorough financial disclosure. That means you’re not just helping me when you gather financial records—you’re satisfying obligations to the court.
For a typical divorce or support case in Lincoln or the surrounding counties, I will usually need:
Federal and state tax returns (often the last three years).
Recent pay stubs or proof of income (including bonuses, commissions, self-employment).
Bank and credit card statements.
Retirement and investment account statements.
Mortgage, car loan, and other debt information.
To keep costs down and avoid confusion, name your files in a way that tells us exactly what they are. For example:
“2023 Federal Joint Tax Return.pdf”
“Wells Fargo – Checking ending 1234 – Jan–Mar 2025.pdf”
“401(k) – ABC Employer – Q4 2024 Statement.pdf”
Nebraska courts expect accuracy and completeness in Child Support Guidelines worksheets and marital estate spreadsheets. When your records are organized and clearly labeled, we can build those documents correctly the first time—and spot any missing or suspicious information from the other side.
Calendars, Logs, and Parenting-Time Timelines in Nebraska Cases
Under the Nebraska Parenting Act, judges look hard at how parenting time has actually worked in practice: who shows up, who cancels, who takes children to school and medical appointments, and who follows the plan.
A simple calendar or log can be one of your most powerful tools. Whether you use Google Calendar, a parenting app, or a notebook, keep track of:
Missed or late exchanges.
Times the other parent refused or interfered with scheduled parenting time.
School events, appointments, and activities you attended (or they missed).
Significant behavior, safety, or sobriety concerns.
When those calendar entries line up with text messages, emails, and third-party records (like school attendance or counseling notes), your case becomes much more persuasive. It’s no longer “I say,” “they say.” It’s dates, patterns, and corroboration.
School, Medical, and Other Third-Party Records in Nebraska Custody Disputes
Judges and guardians ad litem in Nebraska often give significant weight to neutral records from schools, pediatricians, therapists, daycare providers, and similar professionals. These records can help show:
Attendance patterns and tardies.
Academic performance or behavior concerns.
Diagnoses, medications, and treatment compliance.
Consistency (or inconsistency) in who brings the child, who participates, and who follows recommendations.
You don’t need to annotate or rewrite these records. Just keep them complete and in chronological order. I can work with you to determine what’s relevant, whether we need releases or subpoenas, and how to get the records admitted if we end up in an evidentiary hearing.
How to Build a Chronology Your Nebraska Lawyer Will Actually Use
If you only do one organizational task, do this: create a written timeline.
Start with the most relevant period (often the last one to two years, unless there’s a longer history of domestic violence, substance use, or financial misconduct). For each important event, write:
The date.
What happened.
Why it matters (briefly).
Where the proof lives (text export page, calendar entry, school record, photo, etc.).
For example:
“March 12, 2025 – Other parent arrived 90 minutes late to school pickup. Child missed after-school program. See Text PDF p. 9; Google Calendar 3/12/25; email from teacher dated 3/13/25.”
This one document lets me prepare affidavits, motions, trial questions, and settlement proposals far faster. It also quickly reveals where we need to request additional records or clarify details.
The Best Way to Send Documents to Your Lincoln Family Law Attorney
Dumping a box of paper on a lawyer’s desk or emailing random screenshots every day is a good way to drive up your bill and slow your case down. Instead, aim for:
Digital folders organized by category: “Communication,” “Financial,” “School,” “Medical,” “Media,” and “Chronology.”
Clear, consistent file naming.
Batch updates. Unless there’s a true emergency, collect new items into your system, then send an organized batch (for example, weekly or before a scheduled strategy call).
If my office uses a client portal, we’ll walk you through exactly where to upload things. If not, we can agree on a shared folder system or other secure method. The goal is to make sure nothing gets lost and everything is easy to find when we’re preparing for mediation, temporary orders, or trial.
Common Evidence Mistakes Nebraska Clients Make
Even smart, well-meaning clients fall into some predictable traps. A few of the most common:
Sending hundreds of unlabeled screenshots with no explanation.
Altering communications (e.g., deleting parts of a conversation or cropping images to change context).
Trying to secretly record the other parent in situations that violate wiretapping laws.
Over-documenting petty annoyances and under-documenting serious safety, parenting-time, or financial issues.
Waiting until right before a hearing to bring in crucial records.
All of these make your case harder, more expensive, and in some situations, more dangerous for you legally. If you’re not sure whether something is helpful or how to handle it, ask. That’s part of what you’re hiring me for.
How This Level of Preparation Makes You an Asset to Your Own Case
When you walk into my office (or log into a Zoom consult) with a thoughtful chronology, organized folders, and a working understanding of what matters under Nebraska law, you immediately give your case a head start.
You show the court that you are:
Child-focused and engaged.
Respectful of the process and evidence rules.
Serious about resolving things in a way that’s grounded in facts, not just anger.
That doesn’t guarantee a particular outcome—no honest attorney can promise that—but it does put you in the strongest possible position to be heard and taken seriously.
FAQ: Evidence and Preparation in Nebraska Family Law Cases
How far back should I gather records for a Nebraska custody or parenting-time case?
In many Nebraska custody and parenting-time cases, the last 12 to 24 months are most important because judges are looking at current patterns under the Parenting Act. If there’s a longer history of domestic violence, substance use, or significant financial misconduct, we may need to go back further. I can help you decide what timeframe makes sense at our initial consultation.
Do I need to print everything for my Nebraska family law attorney?
Usually, no. High-quality digital copies are often better for day-to-day work and discovery. Keep original documents somewhere safe, but we will typically use PDFs and electronic folders for most of the case. For hearings and trial, my office will prepare printed exhibits as needed.
Are screenshots of texts enough, or do I need full exports?
Screenshots are better than nothing, but full exports are almost always stronger. Exports preserve context and timestamps, which helps with credibility and potential authentication issues at trial. Screenshots can still be useful in a pinch or as quick references, but don’t rely on them as your only record.
Can I secretly record the other parent in Nebraska?
Only with great caution, and you should not do it without talking to your attorney first. Nebraska is a one-party consent state, which generally allows you to record a conversation you are part of. It does not allow you to plant recording devices to capture conversations you are not in. That can violate wiretap laws and backfire badly.
Does my diary or journal count as evidence in a Nebraska case?
A contemporaneous journal can be very helpful for refreshing your memory and supporting your timeline. It may or may not be introduced directly as an exhibit, but it often becomes a valuable tool for preparing testimony, affidavits, and cross-examination. Treat it as part of your broader documentation system.
Is this article legal advice for my specific situation?
No. This is general information about how evidence and organization typically work in Nebraska family law matters. It is not legal advice for your particular case. Your situation may involve different timelines, safety concerns, or strategic considerations. For advice about your specific circumstances, you should consult directly with a Nebraska family law attorney.