A copy of the complaint shall be served with the summons, except when service is by publication. The plaintiff shall deliver to the clerk sufficient copies of the complaint at the time it is filed.
§ 25-504.01.Summons and complaint; service.
Article 5: Commencement of Actions and Service of Process · Last amended 2002 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section requires a copy of the complaint to accompany the summons whenever service is made, except when service is by publication, and puts the burden on the plaintiff to give the clerk enough copies when filing.
Full Text of § 25-504.01
Source
Laws 1983, LB 447, § 21; Laws 2002, LB 876, § 14.
Plain-English Summary
A defendant served with a bare summons and nothing else would know a lawsuit exists but not what it is about. Section 25-504.01 closes that gap by requiring a copy of the complaint to be served along with the summons. The only exception is service by publication, where the notice itself carries the required information rather than the full complaint.
The section also puts a practical obligation on the plaintiff: deliver enough copies of the complaint to the clerk at the time of filing. The clerk does not have to generate extra copies out of nothing — it is the plaintiff’s job to make sure there are enough on hand for however many defendants need to be served.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a defendant get a copy of the complaint along with the summons?
Yes, except when service is being made by publication, in which case the published notice takes the place of serving the full complaint.
Who is responsible for providing enough copies of the complaint?
The plaintiff, who must deliver sufficient copies to the clerk at the time the complaint is filed.
What if there are multiple defendants to be served?
The plaintiff needs to supply enough copies of the complaint for each defendant being served, since each one is entitled to receive a copy along with the summons.
Why is service by publication treated differently?
Publication notice is designed to reach a defendant whose location or identity makes personal delivery of a complaint impractical, so the statute governing publication content, section 25-519, sets what the published notice must say instead.
What happens if the summons is served without the complaint attached?
Because this section requires the complaint to accompany the summons outside of publication service, an omission raises a question about whether service was properly completed.
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: does summons include complaintcopy of complaint with summonsservice by publication exceptionsufficient copies for clerk nebraskawhat accompanies a summons