Child support in Nebraska
Nebraska uses the income-shares model: both parents' incomes count, and each parent pays a share of the child's support. To open a case, contact the Nebraska DHHS Child Support Enforcement (CSE) at 1-877-631-9973.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Nebraska?
Both parents' net monthly incomes are added together. The Nebraska Supreme Court's table (Table 1) gives the support amount for that combined income and the number of children, and each parent pays a share in proportion to their income. Health insurance and child care are added and shared the same way.
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-364.16; Neb. Ct. R. §§ 4-201 to 4-222 (Nebraska Child Support Guidelines)
We don't estimate Nebraska's amount here: its formula uses both parents' incomes and other facts, and a home-made number could mislead you. The official tool gives the real starting number:
Open a child support case in Nebraska
- Phone
- 1-877-631-9973 (option 2)
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply for Child Support Enforcement services online, or call 1-877-631-9973 (option 2) for a paper application. CSE can locate the other parent, establish paternity, and get court orders for child and medical support. You can also file your own case in district court (for example, a paternity and support complaint) using the court self-help forms.
- Application fee
$0. The DHHS application and FAQ list no application fee; the only service charge listed is the $35 yearly fee.
- Yearly fee
The parent receiving support pays $35 a year per case once $550 has been collected and paid out in the federal fiscal year. DHHS keeps the next collection(s) until the $35 is paid. No fee if you get TANF, ever got ADC/TANF in Nebraska or another state, the case involves IV-E foster care, or the fee was already collected in another state that year.
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
If the parents are not married, they can sign a notarized Acknowledgment of Paternity (available at Nebraska hospitals) and file it with DHHS Vital Records, or paternity can be set by a court order. CSE can arrange genetic testing (call 1-877-631-9973, option 2). The court self-help page says a paternity complaint is usually filed within 4 years of the child's birth.
Nebraska child support by topic
How support is calculated in Nebraska
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Nebraska
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Nebraska
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Nebraska
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Nebraska
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Both parents' net monthly incomes are added together. The Nebraska Supreme Court's table (Table 1) gives the support amount for that combined income and the number of children, and each parent pays a share in proportion to their income. Health insurance and child care are added and shared the same way.
- Low income
Minimum support is $50 a month or 10% of the paying parent's net income, whichever is greater (lower amounts may be justified for disability or incarceration). Support generally can't reduce a parent's net income below $1,330 a month (the basic subsistence limitation, updated each year; amount effective January 1, 2026).
Law: Neb. Ct. R. §§ 4-209, 4-218
- Official calculator
- Official Nebraska child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
Every order must say how the parents will cover the children's health care through health insurance and share uninsured costs. The extra cost of the children's insurance is shared in proportion to income. The guideline amount includes up to $250 per child per year in health costs; costs above that are shared. In CSE cases, coverage or cash medical support is reasonable if it costs no more than 5% of the responsible parent's gross income.
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-369; Neb. Ct. R. § 4-215
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-364.16; Neb. Ct. R. §§ 4-201 to 4-222 (Nebraska Child Support Guidelines)
Change a child support order in Nebraska
- When a change is allowed
A change is presumed justified when applying the guidelines would change support (or child care or health care obligations) by 10% or more, and at least $25, up or down, because of financial circumstances that have lasted 3 months and are expected to last 6 more months. In CSE cases, the agency normally reviews an order only after 3 years unless you show a substantial change of that kind; an incarcerated parent's order is reviewed when the parent will be in jail or prison more than 180 days.
- How to ask
If you have a CSE case, request a review and modification online or in writing (Child Support Enforcement, R&M Unit, PO Box 94728, Lincoln, NE 68509-4728); the review can take up to six months and the county attorney files the case in court. Or file your own Complaint for Modification of Child Support in district court with the self-help forms.
Law: Neb. Ct. R. § 4-217; Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-512.12, 43-512.15
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Nebraska
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding
- Federal and state tax refund intercept
- Driver's, recreational, professional and occupational license suspension
- Contempt of court
- License suspension
A license can be suspended when the parent owes more than three months of support, or is not following a payment plan for past-due support. The parent gets written notice and 30 days to ask for review.
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-3314, 43-3318
- Contempt of court
You can ask the district court to hold the other parent in contempt. If the court finds the parent willfully didn't pay, the judge can order jail with a chance to 'purge' the contempt by paying as ordered. Self-help forms: Affidavit and Application for Order to Show Cause.
Law: DC 6:5.20
- Interest on unpaid support
Delinquent child support draws simple interest at the judgment rate under Neb. Rev. Stat. 45-103 in effect on the date of the most recent order (2 points above the 26-week Treasury bill yield). Interest does not start until 30 days after a payment is late. Payments go first to current support, then past-due support, then interest.
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-358.02
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-3314 to 43-3326; 42-358.02
When child support ends in Nebraska
- Support ends
19 (Nebraska's age of majority), unless the order says otherwise.
- Exceptions
Support also ends if the child marries, dies, or is emancipated by a court, unless the order specifically extends it. Past-due support is still owed after support ends.
Law: Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-371.01
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Nebraska
- Legal Aid of Nebraska (LawHelp Nebraska)
- Nebraska State Bar: Find a Lawyer (including limited scope)
- Find free legal help at LawHelp.org
Official self-help
Free letters and checklist
Ask the agency to review (change) your order
A letter to the child support agency asking for a review and adjustment.
Ask the agency to collect unpaid support
A letter asking the agency to enforce the order and collect what is past due.
Checklist: what to bring to open a case
IDs, birth certificates, the other parent's details and your papers, with Nebraska's agency contact.
Good to know in Nebraska
- Support in Nebraska normally runs until age 19, later than in most states (Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-371.01).
- There is no statute of limitations for collecting past-due support in Nebraska (DHHS 'Parents Who Pay' page).
- When a paying parent will be incarcerated more than 180 days, DHHS must start a review of the order within 15 business days of learning about it (Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-512.12(3)).
Changes in 2024–2026
The Nebraska Supreme Court updates the basic subsistence limitation in § 4-218 each year; it was last amended January 28, 2026, effective January 1, 2026 ($1,330 net monthly for one person).
Federal rules in every state
- Applying. If you don't get TANF, Medicaid or foster care help, a state may charge an application fee of up to $25 to open a child support case. Law: 42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B)(i)
- Yearly fee. If you never got TANF and the agency collected at least $550 for you in a year, the state charges a $35 yearly fee. It can come out of your support, but never out of the first $550. Law: 42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B)(ii)
- Review every 3 years. If your case is with the child support agency, either parent can ask it to review the order every 3 years and adjust it to the guidelines. Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(10)(A); 45 CFR 303.8
- Past-due support. Each unpaid payment becomes a judgment on the day it is due. It can't be lowered later, except back to the date the other parent got notice of a request to change the order. Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9)
- Tax refunds. The federal government can take a federal tax refund to pay past-due child support. Law: 42 U.S.C. 664
- Passports. A parent who owes more than $2,500 in past-due support can be refused a passport. Law: 42 U.S.C. 652(k)
- Pay withholding limit. For support, up to 50% of take-home pay can be withheld if the parent supports another spouse or child, or 60% if not. It is 55% or 65% when support is more than 12 weeks behind. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)
- How long support lasts. How long support lasts follows the law of the state that made the order, even if you move. Law: 28 U.S.C. 1738B(h)(2)
Questions about child support in Nebraska
How is child support calculated in Nebraska?
Both parents' net monthly incomes are added together. The Nebraska Supreme Court's table (Table 1) gives the support amount for that combined income and the number of children, and each parent pays a share in proportion to their income. Health insurance and child care are added and shared the same way.
Is there an official child support calculator for Nebraska?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Nebraska?
Minimum support is $50 a month or 10% of the paying parent's net income, whichever is greater (lower amounts may be justified for disability or incarceration). Support generally can't reduce a parent's net income below $1,330 a month (the basic subsistence limitation, updated each year; amount effective January 1, 2026).
How do I apply for child support in Nebraska?
Apply for Child Support Enforcement services online, or call 1-877-631-9973 (option 2) for a paper application. CSE can locate the other parent, establish paternity, and get court orders for child and medical support. You can also file your own case in district court (for example, a paternity and support complaint) using the court self-help forms.
Does it cost money to open a child support case in Nebraska?
$0. The DHHS application and FAQ list no application fee; the only service charge listed is the $35 yearly fee.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Nebraska?
The parent receiving support pays $35 a year per case once $550 has been collected and paid out in the federal fiscal year. DHHS keeps the next collection(s) until the $35 is paid. No fee if you get TANF, ever got ADC/TANF in Nebraska or another state, the case involves IV-E foster care, or the fee was already collected in another state that year.
When can child support be changed in Nebraska?
A change is presumed justified when applying the guidelines would change support (or child care or health care obligations) by 10% or more, and at least $25, up or down, because of financial circumstances that have lasted 3 months and are expected to last 6 more months. In CSE cases, the agency normally reviews an order only after 3 years unless you show a substantial change of that kind; an incarcerated parent's order is reviewed when the parent will be in jail or prison more than 180 days.
How do I ask to change child support in Nebraska?
If you have a CSE case, request a review and modification online or in writing (Child Support Enforcement, R&M Unit, PO Box 94728, Lincoln, NE 68509-4728); the review can take up to six months and the county attorney files the case in court. Or file your own Complaint for Modification of Child Support in district court with the self-help forms.
What happens if child support is not paid in Nebraska?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding; Federal and state tax refund intercept; Driver's, recreational, professional and occupational license suspension; Contempt of court.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Nebraska?
A license can be suspended when the parent owes more than three months of support, or is not following a payment plan for past-due support. The parent gets written notice and 30 days to ask for review.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Nebraska?
You can ask the district court to hold the other parent in contempt. If the court finds the parent willfully didn't pay, the judge can order jail with a chance to 'purge' the contempt by paying as ordered. Self-help forms: Affidavit and Application for Order to Show Cause.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Nebraska?
Delinquent child support draws simple interest at the judgment rate under Neb. Rev. Stat. 45-103 in effect on the date of the most recent order (2 points above the 26-week Treasury bill yield). Interest does not start until 30 days after a payment is late. Payments go first to current support, then past-due support, then interest.
When does child support end in Nebraska?
19 (Nebraska's age of majority), unless the order says otherwise.
Can child support continue past the usual age in Nebraska?
Support also ends if the child marries, dies, or is emancipated by a court, unless the order specifically extends it. Past-due support is still owed after support ends.
How is paternity established in Nebraska?
If the parents are not married, they can sign a notarized Acknowledgment of Paternity (available at Nebraska hospitals) and file it with DHHS Vital Records, or paternity can be set by a court order. CSE can arrange genetic testing (call 1-877-631-9973, option 2). The court self-help page says a paternity complaint is usually filed within 4 years of the child's birth.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Nebraska?
Every order must say how the parents will cover the children's health care through health insurance and share uninsured costs. The extra cost of the children's insurance is shared in proportion to income. The guideline amount includes up to $250 per child per year in health costs; costs above that are shared. In CSE cases, coverage or cash medical support is reasonable if it costs no more than 5% of the responsible parent's gross income.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- Nebraska DHHS Child Support
- DHHS Apply for Child Support Services
- DHHS Application for Child Support Services (PDF)
- DHHS Child Support FAQs
- DHHS Review and Modification
- DHHS Paternity
- Nebraska Child Support Guidelines (Neb. Ct. R. ch. 4, art. 2)
- Table 1 - Income Shares Formula (PDF)
- Neb. Ct. R. § 4-217 Modification
- Neb. Ct. R. § 4-209 Minimum support
- Neb. Ct. R. § 4-218 Basic subsistence limitation
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-358.02
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 45-103
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 42-371.01
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-512.12
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-3314
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-3318
Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.
- State plan requirements: application fee, annual fee, safeguards, 42 U.S.C. 654
- Required state laws: arrears as judgments, review every 3 years, UIFSA, 42 U.S.C. 666
- Federal tax refund offset, 42 U.S.C. 664
- Passport denial for child support arrears, 42 U.S.C. 652(k)
- Garnishment limits for support orders, 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)
- Full faith and credit for child support orders, 28 U.S.C. 1738B
- Office of Child Support Enforcement (federal)