Hiring a Business Lawyer in Nebraska
How to form an LLC in Nebraska, the state fees and yearly filings, how to check a lawyer's license, and the state bar's fee rules. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Nebraska: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Neb. Ct. R. of Prof. Cond. § 3-501.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and must state how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated. It must clearly notify the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails, and at the end the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. § 3-501.5(d) prohibits fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. § 3-501.5(b) says the basis or rate of fees should be communicated, preferably in writing. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Nebraska State Bar Association's Legal Fee Arbitration Program offers voluntary arbitration of disputes over fees charged by attorneys (and also between attorneys and physicians, stenographers, consultants and expert witnesses). The rules, petition, respondent's answer form and a fee brochure are on the page; questions go to the program contact at 1-800-927-0117. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Nebraska State Bar Association's Client Assistance Fund, established in January 1974 under the Nebraska Supreme Court's authority, helps claimants recover losses caused by dishonest conduct of lawyers while practicing law in Nebraska. Complete the claim form, attach copies of supporting documents, have it notarized, and send it to NSBA/Client Assistance Fund, 635 South 14th Street, Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68508, keeping a copy. |
Nebraska rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | An LLC is formed by one or more organizers signing and delivering a Certificate of Organization to the Nebraska Secretary of State. The certificate must state the LLC's name, the street and mailing addresses of its initial designated office, and the name and addresses of its initial agent for service of process (and, for a professional LLC, the professional service it will render). Documents can be filed online through the Secretary of State's document eDelivery service, in person, or by mail (P.O. Box 94608, Lincoln, NE 68509-4608). The office says online submissions are currently taking approximately a week to be reviewed. The Secretary of State says it is transitioning to a new business entity search and filing system, anticipated to be live before the end of the 2026 calendar year. |
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| LLC filing fee | The filing fee for a Certificate of Organization for a Nebraska LLC (including a professional service LLC) is $110 when filed in the office or $100 when filed online. State law also lists a $10 fee for a certificate. The Secretary of State's online filing page says the total payment for online filing is greater than the statutory filing fee by a minimum of $2.00 per transaction, payable by credit card only. |
| Registered agent | An LLC must name a registered agent and registered office in its formation documents. The Secretary of State says the agent can be a member of the entity or a third party who resides in Nebraska, or a corporation authorized to transact business in Nebraska; the agent's office must be identical to the registered office, and both must be continuously maintained in the state. Failure to maintain them can lead to administrative dissolution. To change the designated office or registered agent, file a Statement of Change; the fee is $30 in office or $25 online. |
| Annual report | Nebraska LLCs and foreign LLCs file a biennial report in odd-numbered years. The report is due between January 1 and April 1 of the odd-numbered year after the LLC was formed or authorized, and every second year after that; the Secretary of State lists it as delinquent June 16. An LLC whose report is not filed by the delinquency date is administratively dissolved (or, for a foreign LLC, has its authority revoked). The Secretary of State fee schedule read does not list a separate fee for a standard LLC biennial report. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 21-192(1) sets the fee for "all filings" under the LLC Act at thirty dollars in writing and twenty-five dollars electronically, except for the filings it lists separately. Reinstatement is $30, and reinstatement more than five years after administrative dissolution is $500. |
| Operating agreement | Nebraska's Uniform Limited Liability Company Act provides that to the extent an LLC's operating agreement does not provide for a matter, the Act governs it, and it lists certain things an operating agreement may not do. The operating agreement is not among the items the statute requires in the Certificate of Organization filed with the Secretary of State. |
| Closing an LLC | A Nebraska LLC files a Statement of Dissolution with the Secretary of State; the fee is $30 in office or $25 online. A foreign LLC files a Notice of Cancellation ($30 in office / $25 online). Nebraska law also requires a dissolved LLC to publish notice of its dissolution for three successive weeks in a legal newspaper in the county of its principal office (or designated office), asking claimants to present claims; claims not enforced within five years after the third notice are generally barred. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Nebraska State Bar Association's Find-A-Lawyer website lets the public look for a lawyer. Attorneys listed there charge $50 or less for the first 30 minutes of consultation, according to the site. The site says it is not a directory of NSBA members; for a full list of licensed Nebraska attorneys it points to the Nebraska Supreme Court Attorney Services Division website. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Nebraska Supreme Court regulates attorney licensing, and the Nebraska Judicial Branch provides a public attorney search for checking a lawyer's record; the Counsel for Discipline's grievance page points the public to it. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The Nebraska Supreme Court's Counsel for Discipline investigates and prosecutes violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. File a grievance with the court's grievance form or a letter fully explaining the problem, with copies (not originals) of supporting documents, by email (nsc.cfdcomplaints@nejudicial.gov), fax (402-471-1014) or mail (Counsel for Discipline, 5001 Central Park Dr., Ste. 300, Lincoln, NE 68504-3461); phone 402-471-1040. Grievances that would not describe improper conduct even if true are rejected; otherwise the lawyer is usually asked for a written response, staff investigate, and the grievance is dismissed or charges are filed with a Committee on Inquiry. Grievances and investigations are confidential. The office cannot give legal advice, change court orders or recover money for you; it can only seek discipline. |
All legal help in Nebraska · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.