§ 6-101.Time for disposition of cases in district and county courts.

Article 1: Case Progression Standards · Last amended April 1, 2024 · Last verified July 22, 2026

In one sentenceSection 6-101 sets target time standards for how quickly district and county courts should resolve different types of civil, criminal, domestic, probate, and guardianship cases, and asks judges and lawyers to adopt practices that keep cases moving toward those targets.

Full Text of § 6-101

Text sizeJump to: (A) (B) (C) (D)

(A) Cases should be disposed of according to the following time standards:

	A Standard Disposed In	B Disposed In	C Disposed In	D Excluded Time
District Court Civil Non-Jury	NA	90% 1 year	98% 18 mos.
District Court Civil Jury		90% 1 year	98% 18 mos.	Warrant, Drug Court Warrant, Drug Court Time from plea to sentencing
Domestic Relations	NA	50% 180 days	95% 1 year	Mediation Parent Education
Post Judgment Motions-- Modification & Post Convictions		50% 180 days	95% 1 year
County Court Civil Non-Jury		90% 6 mos.	99% 9 mos.
County Court Civil Jury		90% 12 mos.	99% 18 mos.
Landlord/Tenant	Restitution 99% in 14 days	Damages 90% 60 days	Damages 99% 90 days
Small Claims			99% 60 days from Service
County Court Protection Orders			99% 30 Days
Felony	NA	90% 6 mos.	98% 1 year
County Court Criminal Misdemeanor & Traffic	90% 3 months	95% 6 months	99% 9 months
Guardianships/ Conservatorships Uncontested		90% 60 days	100% 120 days
G/C Contested-- Selection of Fiduciary		75% 90 days	100% 180 days
G/C Contested Necessity of Appt.		75% 120 days	100% 240 days
Probate--No Federal Estate Tax		90% 12 Months	100% 18 months
Probate with Federal Estate Tax	80% 15 months	90% 18 months	100% 24 months or within 45 days of IRS closing letter/final order in litigation
Appeals from County Court to District Court			98% 180 days

The age of a case is measured from the time of filing to the date the trial court entered its judgment/decree, the case is dismissed, the petition is withdrawn, the case is transferred to another court on a change of venue, or the case is otherwise disposed, whichever occurs first. Not included for the purpose of determining the age of the case is the time the case is out of the control of the trial judge, such as the time a warrant is outstanding, a party is undergoing assessment or involved in drug court, a bankruptcy stay is in effect, or parties are pursuing court required mediation or parenting education.

(B) Appropriate procedures should be implemented by the trial judge to meet these standards, and such procedures may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Early identification of cases that may be resolved without delay or that may be protracted, and a process whereby these cases are given special administrative attention when appropriate;

(2) Timeframes for the completion of critical steps in the litigation process, including discovery;

(3) Commencement of trials on a date certain, scheduled with adequate notice to all parties; judges should consider setting more than one trial on a date certain to ensure efficient use of judicial resources while minimizing the numbers of cases that must be reset;

(4) Utilizing early progression orders and mandatory disclosures to shorten the discovery phase and minimize discovery disputes;

(5) Firm, consistent procedures for minimizing continuances.

(D) All cases shall be assigned to a judge.

End

Amendment History

§ 6-101 amended November 27, 2013; § 6-101(A) amended December 13, 2023, effective April 1, 2024.

Plain-English Summary

Section 6-101 works like a scorecard for how fast Nebraska’s trial courts should move cases from filing to resolution. Part (A) lays out a grid of time standards, broken down by case type and court level. For most district court civil cases, the target is to close 90 percent within a year and 98 percent within eighteen months. Domestic relations cases move faster on paper — half should close within 180 days, 95 percent within a year — while county court landlord-tenant restitution matters move fastest of all, with a target of resolving 99 percent within 14 days. Small claims should wrap up within 60 days of service. Probate matters run on a longer clock, since estates with a federal estate tax return get up to 24 months. Guardianship and conservatorship cases fall somewhere in between, depending on whether they are contested.

The rule also tells courts how to count a case’s age: from the filing date until judgment, dismissal, withdrawal, transfer, or other disposition, whichever happens first. Time a case spends out of the judge’s hands — a pending warrant, a bankruptcy stay, court-ordered mediation, or parenting education — does not count against these standards.

Part (B) does not just hand judges a stopwatch; it lists tools for hitting the target, like flagging cases early that may need special handling, setting firm discovery timelines, scheduling trials on dates certain, and resisting continuances. Part (C) asks lawyers to cooperate in meeting these standards, and Part (D) requires every case to have an assigned judge. None of this creates a right to dismissal or a defense for a party if a case runs past the listed time — the standards guide court administration, not individual case outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does missing one of the time standards in Section 6-101 mean my case gets dismissed?

No. The time standards guide how courts manage their dockets and are not grounds for dismissal or a defense in an individual case. They measure system performance, not any single case’s fate.

How is the “age” of a case measured under this rule?

From the date of filing to the date of judgment, dismissal, withdrawal of the petition, transfer to another court, or other final disposition, whichever occurs first.

Does time spent in a bankruptcy stay or under a warrant count against the disposition standards?

No. The rule excludes time a case is out of the trial judge’s control, including an outstanding warrant, drug court assessment, a bankruptcy stay, or court-required mediation or parenting education.

Why do domestic relations and landlord-tenant cases have faster targets than general civil cases?

These case types often involve urgent family or housing needs, so the standards set shorter benchmarks — 180 days for many domestic relations matters and as little as 14 days for certain landlord-tenant restitution actions — to reflect that urgency.

What tools does the rule suggest for keeping cases on track?

Early identification of cases needing special attention, firm discovery timelines, trials set for a date certain, mandatory disclosures, and consistent limits on continuances.

Does this rule require every civil case to have a judge assigned?

Yes. Part (D) requires that all cases be assigned to a judge.

Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. · Official source

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