For purposes of sections 25-2301 to 25-2310:
(1) Case includes any suit, action, or proceeding; and
(2) In forma pauperis means the permission given by the court for a party to proceed without prepayment of fees and costs or security.
§ 25-2301.Terms, defined.
Article 23: Costs in In Forma Pauperis Proceedings · Last amended 1999 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceDefines the two terms anchoring Nebraska’s in forma pauperis statutes — “case,” covering any suit, action, or proceeding, and “in forma pauperis” itself, meaning court permission to proceed without prepaying fees, costs, or security.
Full Text of § 25-2301
Source
Laws 1972, LB 1120, § 1; Laws 1979, LB 148, § 1; Laws 1986, LB 750, § 3; Laws 1999, LB 689, § 2.
Plain-English Summary
Sections 25-2301 through 25-2310 give Nebraska litigants who cannot afford court costs a path to file, defend, or appeal anyway. Section 25-2301 opens that path with two definitions. “Case” means any suit, action, or proceeding — civil or criminal, trial or appeal. “In forma pauperis” means the permission a court gives a party to proceed without prepaying fees, costs, or security.
Those two words carry weight through the rest of the article. Understanding that “case” reaches beyond an ordinary civil lawsuit, and that in forma pauperis status is permission the court grants rather than an automatic right, sets up the application and objection process the following sections describe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “case” mean under Nebraska’s in forma pauperis statutes?
Any suit, action, or proceeding.
What does “in forma pauperis” mean?
Court permission for a party to proceed without prepaying fees, costs, or security.
Do these definitions cover criminal cases as well as civil cases?
Yes, “case” includes any suit, action, or proceeding without limiting the term to civil matters.
Is in forma pauperis status automatic for anyone who cannot pay?
No. It is permission the court grants, following the application and objection process set out in the sections that follow.
Which sections make up Nebraska’s in forma pauperis article?
Sections 25-2301 to 25-2310.
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: in forma pauperis definition nebraskawhat does ifp mean in nebraskaproceeding without paying court feescase defined civil procedure nebraskanebraska poverty affidavit filing terms