Unless otherwise provided in the agreement to arbitrate, the arbitrators' expenses and fees together with other expenses, not including counsel fees, incurred in the conduct of the arbitration shall be paid as provided in the award.
§ 25-2611.Fees and expenses of arbitration.
Article 26: Uniform Arbitration Act · Last amended 1987 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section leaves the arbitrators’ fees and other arbitration expenses — but not attorney fees — to be paid as the award directs, unless the parties’ agreement to arbitrate says otherwise.
Full Text of § 25-2611
Source
Laws 1987, LB 71, § 11.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2611 answers who pays for the arbitration itself. Unless the agreement to arbitrate provides a different arrangement, the arbitrators’ own expenses and fees, along with other costs of conducting the arbitration, are paid as the award provides — meaning the arbitrators decide, as part of the award, how those costs get allocated between the parties.
One category stays out of this pool: counsel fees. The statute specifically excludes attorney fees from the expenses covered here, so each party’s own legal fees are handled separately from the arbitration costs the award allocates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays the arbitrator’s fee in a Nebraska arbitration?
Unless the arbitration agreement says otherwise, the arbitrators’ fees and expenses, along with other arbitration costs, are paid as the award directs.
Does the award decide who pays for arbitration expenses?
Yes. Section 25-2611 has the award itself set out how those fees and expenses are paid, absent a contrary agreement.
Does this section cover my attorney’s fees?
No. Counsel fees are specifically excluded from the expenses this section addresses.
Can the parties agree in advance on how to split arbitration costs?
Yes. The statute’s default rule applies only in the absence of a different provision in the agreement to arbitrate.
If the award is silent on fees, does that mean no one has to pay the arbitrator?
No. The default rule directs that the arbitrators’ fees and other arbitration expenses be paid as provided in the award, so the award is expected to address the point.
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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