Updated August 19, 2026. Quick answer: Nebraska publishes no percentage schedule for probate compensation — the personal representative and the attorney are each paid what the court finds reasonable (Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-2480), so the bill tracks hours worked rather than the size of the estate. The second number is the small-estate threshold, at or under which an estate skips most of probate: $100,000 of personal property, net of liens, by affidavit. Whether any of that reaches a solely owned house is answered below — it is where most published guidance goes wrong.
Putting a loan in writing? The interest limit, the signing rules and the time limit to sue, from the state’s own statutes: Nebraska promissory note.
Deeding a home to a family member while you are alive? What Nebraska requires, from its own documents: Nebraska quitclaim deed requirements.
Married, or planning for a spouse’s death? Whether the state is a community property state, from its own statutes: Is Nebraska a community property state?.
Naming a beneficiary on a brokerage account or a vehicle title so it passes outside the will is covered here: transfer-on-death registration in Nebraska.
Planning for what you leave behind? The state’s estate tax answer, from its own tax documents: Does Nebraska have an estate tax?.
Related state guides: Nebraska Probate Filing Fee, Nebraska Executor Bond Requirement and Transfer on Death Deed Nebraska.
What probate costs in Nebraska
| Item | Nebraska |
|---|---|
| Fee model | reasonable-fee |
| What the fee is calculated on | UPC state: personal representative entitled to ‘reasonable compensation’ (Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-2480); attorney compensation likewise reasonable, subject to court review (§30-2482). No percentage schedule. |
| Court filing fee | Probate court fees are set by Neb. Rev. Stat. §33-125: $22 for a proceeding commenced and closed informally, and for formal proceedings from $22 (estate value up to $1,000) to $1,500 (estate value above $5,000,000), based on gross value, meaning the actual value of the estate less liens and joint tenancy property. |
| Small-estate threshold | $100,000 — collection of personal property by affidavit where all personal property (less liens/encumbrances) does not exceed $100,000; 30-day wait (Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-24,125). Verified on nebraskalegislature.gov. |
Why Nebraska has no single answer
Nebraska does not publish a percentage schedule that produces one number, so any source quoting you a firm figure is estimating. What the statute actually fixes is the standard: UPC state: personal representative entitled to ‘reasonable compensation’ (Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-2480); attorney compensation likewise reasonable, subject to court review (§30-2482). No percentage schedule. That makes three things decide the bill — how many billable hours the administration takes, whether any beneficiary contests, and whether the estate qualifies for the small-estate route below and skips most of it. Get the fee basis in writing before engaging anyone.
For states that DO publish a schedule, and to compare, use the probate cost calculator.
What is the small estate limit in Nebraska?
$100,000 — collection of personal property by affidavit where all personal property (less liens/encumbrances) does not exceed $100,000; 30-day wait (Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-24,125). Verified on nebraskalegislature.gov.
Nebraska’s personal property affidavit (§30-24,125) does not reach real estate, but a separate real property affidavit (§30-24,129) lets a successor claim real property worth $100,000 or less by assessed value. If the person who died owned a house in their sole name, the house moves by the separate real property affidavit under §30-24,129 when its assessed value, less taxes owed, is $100,000 or less, and otherwise needs full probate.
Full thresholds for every state: small-estate limits by state.
If the estate is still being planned rather than settled, the usual way to keep a house out of probate entirely is a living trust, which carries its own upfront cost: whether a living trust is worth it in Nebraska.
Skipping probate entirely
The usual way to keep a house out of probate entirely is a living trust, which carries its own upfront cost: LawDepot builds a state-specific revocable living trust if that fits how you want to leave things to your heirs.
Before you click, what actually happens. The link goes to LawDepot, a paid legal-document service, not Clear Money Guide and not a law firm. LawDepot pays Clear Money Guide a commission if you buy a document there, at no extra cost to you. You are under no obligation to buy anything, and this is not legal advice.
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Does a house have to go through probate in Nebraska?
Yes, if the house was solely owned and is worth more than $100,000 on the assessment rolls; a house at or under that line can pass by the separate real property affidavit under §30-24,129. Because Nebraska’s personal property affidavit does not clear a solely owned house worth more than $100,000 on the assessment rolls, an estate that looks small on paper can still face full administration — and the fee is usually calculated on the gross value of that house, not the equity in it. That is the single most common and most costly surprise in this area, and it is fixable in advance rather than after. A fiduciary advisor can price the exposure alongside the rest of the estate picture. talk to someone about the whole estate picture. You can also run the numbers yourself first with the probate cost calculator — no email required.
How Nebraska compares to the other 50
Nebraska’s small-estate threshold of $100,000 ranks 7 of 49 jurisdictions with a stated figure, and sits close to the national median of $75,000. The range runs from $15,000 at the bottom to $400,000 at the top, so where an estate falls relative to the line matters far more than any national “average probate cost” figure. On fee model, Nebraska is one of 30 of 51 jurisdictions using the reasonable-fee approach.
Death taxes in Nebraska, separately
Nebraska levies an inheritance tax, one of 5 states that do. That is a different question from probate cost and is decided by different statutes, but families routinely conflate the two.
Inheritance tax: yes – county-level tax, three classes (rates set by LB 310 (2022), effective for deaths on/after 1/1/2023, still current for 2026): Class 1 immediate relatives (parents, siblings, children, grandchildren) 1% above $100,000 exemption; Class 2 remote relatives (aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews and their descendants) 11% above $40,000; Class 3 all others 15% above $25,000. Exempt: surviving spouse, charities, and any beneficiary under age 22
What this does not include
The figures above are the probate cost — the court and compensation side of settling an estate. They are separate from any state estate tax or inheritance tax, which are taxes on the transfer itself and are owed whether or not the estate goes through probate. Appraisal, bond premium, publication, and real-estate commissions if property is sold are additional and are not set by the fee statute.
Before you hire anyone
- Ask which statute the fee is charged under, and get the citation. In Nebraska the governing provisions are below.
- Ask whether the quoted fee is calculated on gross value or net of debts. Gross-value states charge on the full house value even if a mortgage covers most of it.
- Ask whether the personal representative is also claiming compensation, and on what basis.
- Ask in writing whether the estate qualifies for the small-estate route, and if a solely owned house is involved, whether that route reaches it.
Primary sources
- Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-2480
- Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-24,125
- Neb. Rev. Stat. §33-125
Nebraska in the rest of the picture
Probate cost is one of four things Nebraska decides for a retiree and their heirs. The other three — income tax on withdrawals, estate tax, and inheritance tax — are priced separately:
- Every tax Nebraska charges a retiree: Nebraska retirement taxes
- Corridor comparison: Nebraska To Florida
Compare and calculate
Probate cost by state compares all 51 jurisdictions side by side. The probate cost calculator prices a specific estate. If a move is on the table, retirement tax relocation prices probate alongside the three other taxes that change with residency.
Cite or share this guide: “Nebraska Probate Cost (2026),” statute-cited; clearmoneyguide.com/nebraska-probate-cost/. Free to cite with attribution.
What the whole settlement costs here. There is no statutory percentage here, so the fee is whatever is reasonable — which is why no honest national figure exists. Inheritance tax on an estate passing to a child: $4,000 at $500,000 (1% of the value received above $100,000 (immediate relatives)). The personal property affidavit stops at $100,000 and reaches personal property only; a separate real property affidavit under §30-24,129 has its own $100,000 limit measured by assessed value, so a house above that line keeps the estate in full administration. No state charges estate tax at any of these estate sizes. All three lines computed for every state: the cost of dying index.
A related question: when is probate required in Nebraska at all, and what the small-estate shortcut covers.