The plaintiff shall file with the clerk of the court a praecipe for summons stating the name and address of each party to be served and the manner of service for each party. Upon written request of the plaintiff, separate or additional summonses shall be issued.
§ 25-502.01.Praecipe for summons.
Article 5: Commencement of Actions and Service of Process · Last amended 1984 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section requires a plaintiff to file a praecipe telling the clerk each party’s name, address, and the method of service to use, and lets the plaintiff request separate or additional summonses in writing.
Full Text of § 25-502.01
Source
Laws 1983, LB 447, § 19; Laws 1984, LB 845, § 20.
Plain-English Summary
Filing a complaint does not, by itself, tell the clerk who needs to be served or how. That is the job of the praecipe for summons required by section 25-502.01. The plaintiff files this document stating the name and address of each party to be served and the manner of service chosen for each one — personal service, residence service, certified mail, or designated delivery service, under the options section 25-505.01 lays out.
The praecipe matters because the clerk relies on it to prepare and issue the correct summons for the correct method. Get an address wrong, or leave off a defendant, and the summons the clerk issues will not reach the person it needs to reach. When a case involves more than one defendant, or when a first attempt at service fails and a new one is needed, the plaintiff can ask in writing for separate or additional summonses rather than starting the case over.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a praecipe for summons?
It is the document a plaintiff files with the clerk stating the name and address of each party to be served and which method of service will be used for each one.
Do I need to file a praecipe for every defendant separately?
The praecipe should state the name, address, and manner of service for each party to be served, whether that information is combined in one filing or broken out defendant by defendant.
What if I need an additional summons after the first one fails?
You can request separate or additional summonses in writing, and the clerk shall issue them upon that request.
Does the praecipe tell the clerk which method of service to use?
Yes. Stating the manner of service for each party is a required part of the praecipe, and it guides how the clerk prepares the summons.
What happens if the address on my praecipe is wrong?
The summons will be prepared and sent based on the address given, so an incorrect address risks a failed or invalid attempt at service.
Is the praecipe the same document as the summons?
No. The praecipe is the plaintiff’s instruction to the clerk; the summons itself, described in section 25-503.01, is the document the court issues and that gets served on the defendant.
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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