§ 25-1011.Garnishment; service upon garnishee; forms; notice; hearing.
Article 10: Attachment, Garnishment, Injunctions, Receivers, and Replevin · Last amended 2010 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section sets the procedure for serving a garnishment summons on the garnishee and mailing notice to the judgment debtor, using Supreme Court-approved forms that explain the debtor’s exemption rights and the right to request a hearing within ten days.
Full Text of § 25-1011
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(1) The summons and order of garnishment and the interrogatories in duplicate, a notice to judgment debtor form, and a request for hearing form shall be served upon the garnishee in the manner provided for service of a summons in a civil action.
(2) The judgment creditor or his or her agent or attorney shall send to the judgment debtor by certified mail to the last-known address of the judgment debtor a copy of the summons and order of garnishment, a notice to judgment debtor form, and a request for hearing form within seven business days after issuance by the court and shall certify in writing to the court the date of the mailing.
(3) The Supreme Court by rule of court shall promulgate uniform garnishment forms for use in all courts in this state. The forms shall include the summons and order of garnishment, the garnishment interrogatories, a notice to judgment debtor form, and a request for hearing form.
(4) The notice to judgment debtor form shall include the following information:
(a) That certain funds are exempt from garnishment if such funds are from certain government benefits and other sources;
(b) That wages are exempt up to a certain level and the amount that can be garnished varies if the judgment debtor is the head of a family;
(c) That if the judgment debtor believes the court should not allow a garnishment either because the funds sought are exempt or because the amount is not owed on the judgment, the judgment debtor is entitled to a hearing within ten days after a request by the judgment debtor to determine such issues; and
(d) That if the judgment debtor wishes a hearing as prescribed in subdivision (c) of this subsection, the judgment debtor shall make a request by filling out the request for hearing form and file the form with the court within three business days after receipt of the notice to judgment debtor form by the judgment debtor.
(5) If the judgment debtor in a garnishment proceeding requests a hearing, the court shall grant the hearing within ten days of the request.
Garnishment can freeze money a judgment debtor needs to live on, so Nebraska builds notice and a fast hearing right into the process. Section 25-1011 handles both.
The garnishee gets served with the summons and order of garnishment, duplicate interrogatories, a notice-to-judgment-debtor form, and a request-for-hearing form, using the same method as service of a summons in a civil action. Separately, the judgment creditor, or an agent or attorney, has to mail the judgment debtor a copy of the same summons and order, along with the two forms, by certified mail within seven business days of the court issuing them, and then certify to the court, in writing, the date that mailing went out. The Nebraska Supreme Court promulgates the uniform forms used statewide for all of this — the summons and order, the interrogatories, the notice, and the hearing request.
The notice-to-judgment-debtor form has to explain, in plain terms, that certain funds, such as some government benefits, are exempt from garnishment, that wages are exempt up to a set level that varies for a head of family, and that the debtor can request a hearing within three business days of receiving the notice if the debtor believes the garnished funds are exempt or the amount claimed is wrong. Once a debtor makes that request, the court has to hold the hearing within ten days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a garnishee get notified of a garnishment?
By service, in the same manner as a civil summons, of the summons and order of garnishment, duplicate interrogatories, a notice-to-judgment-debtor form, and a request-for-hearing form.
How does the judgment debtor find out about the garnishment?
The judgment creditor or an agent or attorney must mail the debtor a copy of the summons and order, along with the notice and hearing-request forms, by certified mail within seven business days after the court issues them.
What does the notice to the judgment debtor have to explain?
That certain funds, including some government benefits, are exempt from garnishment, that wages are exempt up to a set level, higher for a head of family, and how to request a hearing to contest the garnishment.
How quickly can I get a hearing if I believe my garnished funds are exempt?
File the request-for-hearing form with the court within three business days of receiving the notice, and the court must grant the hearing within ten days of your request.
Who creates the forms used in a Nebraska garnishment?
The Nebraska Supreme Court promulgates uniform garnishment forms by court rule, for use by every court in the state.
Does the judgment creditor have to prove the mailing to the debtor happened?
Yes. The creditor or the creditor’s agent or attorney must certify in writing to the court the date the required mailing to the judgment debtor was sent.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:garnishment notice to judgment debtor nebraskarequesting a garnishment hearinggarnishment exemption hearing nebraskaserving a garnishee nebraskauniform garnishment forms nebraska25-1011 nebraska