Where can I find Nebraska's adoption statutes?

Nebraska's adoption statutes are in Nebraska Revised Statutes Chapter 43, Article 1, which you can read free on the Nebraska Legislature's website by browsing to Neb. Rev. Stat. Chapter 43. You can also search for a single section by its number.

Where to start reading: These sections are the usual starting points for a stepparent adoption:

• Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-101
• Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-104
• Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-104.02
• Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-107

Start with the chapter's table of contents, then open each section. Statutes are written in formal legal language, so read slowly and take notes on anything that seems to apply to your family.

What the key sections cover for stepparent families:

• Residency: Nebraska has no minimum residency period before you can file (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-102).
• Child's consent: A child who is 14 or older must consent (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-104).
• Abandonment: The abandonment period is 6 months (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-104(4)(b)). This matters if the other parent has been absent and you are asking the court to move forward without that parent's consent.
• Home study: A home study is waived for stepparent adoptions (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-107).

Where your case is filed: Stepparent adoptions are handled by the County Court in your county. Nebraska has 93 counties, and each court clerk can tell you about local filing procedures. The clerk can also confirm the current filing fee, which typically falls in the $100-$250 range, and any local forms or scheduling details. A stepparent adoption typically takes about 3-6 months from filing to finalization.

A note on reading the law: Statutes tell you the rules, but they don't tell you how those rules apply to your family. If the other parent is unknown, refuses to consent, or can't be located, or if your situation is contested in any way, ask the County Court clerk about procedure and talk with a Nebraska attorney about your specific facts. Nebraska also has a putative father registry, which can matter when a child's biological father has not been legally established.

Statute numbers change over time. Lawmakers amend sections periodically, so rely on the current version on the Legislature's website rather than on a printout or an old article. If anything you read seems to conflict with what a court form asks for, the clerk can clarify.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your Nebraska county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child (or for one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 441 Nebraska families, and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001. By comparison, attorney fees for a stepparent adoption can run $3,000-$5,000 or more, while our typical total cost, including court fees, is under $1,000.