Article 27: County Court Rules of Procedure and Probate Practice · Last amended 2020 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThe Expedited Civil Actions Act covers county court lawsuits seeking only a money judgment at or below the county court’s jurisdictional dollar limit, but excludes Small Claims Court cases along with domestic relations, paternity, and custody matters.
Full Text of § 25-2742
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(1) The County Court Expedited Civil Actions Act applies to civil actions in county court in which the sole relief sought is a money judgment and in which the claim of each plaintiff is less than or equal to the county court jurisdictional amount set forth in subdivision (5) of section 24-517, including damages of any kind, penalties, interest accrued before the filing date, and attorney's fees, but excluding prejudgment interest accrued after the filing date, postjudgment interest, and costs.
(2) The act does not apply to Small Claims Court actions or domestic relations matters or paternity or custody determinations as defined in section 25-2740.
(3) For the purposes of the act, side means all litigants with generally common interests in the litigation.
Source
Laws 2020, LB912, § 2.
Plain-English Summary
To use the Expedited Act, a case has to fit a narrow description: a county court civil action in which the sole relief sought is a money judgment, and in which each plaintiff’s claim does not exceed the county court’s jurisdictional amount under section 24-517(5). That dollar figure includes damages of any kind, penalties, interest that accrued before the case was filed, and attorney’s fees. It excludes prejudgment interest that accrues after filing, postjudgment interest, and costs — none of those count against the cap.
Two categories are carved out entirely. The Act does not apply to Small Claims Court actions, which already have their own simplified procedure under Article 28, or to domestic relations matters or paternity or custody determinations as defined in section 25-2740, which follow their own separate track.
The section also defines “side” for purposes of the Act — all litigants who share generally common interests in the litigation count as one side. That definition matters later, since the Act’s discovery limits in section 25-2744 are set per side rather than per individual party.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of case qualifies for the Expedited Civil Actions Act?
A county court civil action where the only relief sought is a money judgment, and each plaintiff’s claim is at or below the county court jurisdictional amount in section 24-517(5).
Does the jurisdictional amount include attorney’s fees and penalties?
Yes. Damages of any kind, penalties, interest accrued before filing, and attorney’s fees all count toward the cap, while prejudgment interest accruing after filing, postjudgment interest, and costs do not.
Can I use the Expedited Act for a Small Claims Court case?
No. The Act specifically does not apply to Small Claims Court actions.
Are custody or child support cases eligible for the Expedited Act?
No. Domestic relations matters and paternity or custody determinations, as defined in section 25-2740, fall outside the Act.
What does “side” mean when the Act limits discovery per side?
All litigants who share generally common interests in the case count as one side, a definition that matters when applying the discovery limits in section 25-2744.
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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