Ord firm in Valley County, founded in 1972, serving Garfield and Valley Counties and towns including Burwell, Scotia, Ericson, Loup City, and Sargent. Handles probate and post-mortem tax planning, estate and trust administration, guardianships, and estate litigation. Jessica L.V. Piskorski co-authored the probate chapters of the Nebraska State Bar Association's Probate Manual.
Ord is in Valley County.
Probate in Valley County
Probate Court Record
Valley County Court
Valley County · 8
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How to file probate in Valley County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Valley County? →Settling an estate in Valley County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Nebraska
Free Nebraska forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Nebraska.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Nebraska allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-3408(1)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Nebraska treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultNeb. Rev. Stat. §§ 30-4001 to 30-4045Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryNeb. Rev. Stat. §§ 30-4001 to 30-4045Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Last Will and Testament
In Nebraska, a will is signed before 2Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2327Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Nebraska
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Nebraska: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Nebraska.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Nebraska runs $3,190Estimate: 10 hours at $319, Clio's Nebraska Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,785Estimate: 15 hours at $319, Clio's Nebraska Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $924Estimate: 3 hours at $308, Clio's Nebraska Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,848Estimate: 6 hours at $308, Clio's Nebraska Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In Nebraska, four years at a public university cost about $80,728NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 10% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; an inheritance tax falls on beneficiariesNeb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2001 et seq.Verified Sep 15, 2026View source by relationship.
What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Nebraska costs an estimated $25,018Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 1.7%Modeled estimate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.8%Modeled estimate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $100,000Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Nebraska takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.7%Modeled estimate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.8%Modeled estimate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2482 (reasonable compensation determined by court): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Nebraska automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2333Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
