The debt or cause of action shall be briefly stated in the judgment, or in a writing to be filed as pleadings in other actions.
§ 25-1310.Judgment by confession; contents.
Article 13: Judgments · Not amended since original codification · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section requires that when a debtor confesses judgment, the underlying debt or cause of action be briefly stated either in the judgment itself or in a separate writing filed as a pleading.
Full Text of § 25-1310
Source
R.S.1867, Code § 434, p. 466; R.S.1913, § 8003; C.S.1922, § 8944; C.S.1929, § 20-1310; R.S.1943, § 25-1310.
Plain-English Summary
A confession of judgment under § 25-1309 cannot be a bare admission with nothing behind it. Section 25-1310 requires the debt or cause of action to be briefly stated — either directly in the judgment, or in a writing filed as pleadings are filed in other actions. That brief statement gives the court record something concrete: what the debtor owed and confessed to owing.
The requirement is deliberately light. The statute asks for a brief statement, not a full pleading with the detail an ordinary petition would carry. But some statement has to appear somewhere in the record, whether folded into the judgment document itself or set out in a separate filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a confession of judgment need to explain what the debt was for?
Yes. Section 25-1310 requires the debt or cause of action to be briefly stated, either in the judgment itself or in a writing filed with the court as a pleading.
How much detail does the statement of the debt need to include?
The statute calls for a brief statement, not a full-length pleading, though it must identify the debt or cause of action being confessed.
Where does this statement go if it is not part of the judgment document?
It can be filed separately as a writing, treated the same way pleadings are filed in other actions.
What happens if the confession does not state the debt at all?
Section 25-1310 makes the brief statement a requirement of a proper confession of judgment under this cluster of sections, though the statute itself does not spell out the consequence of omitting it.
Does this section apply to every judgment, or only confessed judgments?
It applies specifically to judgments entered by confession under § 25-1309, not to judgments generally.
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
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