Every direction of a court or judge, made or entered in writing and not included in a judgment, is an order.
§ 25-914.Order, defined.
Article 9: Offer of Judgment, Submission of Controversies, Confession of Judgment, and Motions · Not amended since original codification · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section defines an order as any written direction from a court or judge that is not part of a judgment.
Full Text of § 25-914
Source
R.S.1867, Code § 578, p. 495; R.S.1913, § 7730; C.S.1922, § 8674; C.S.1929, § 20-914; R.S.1943, § 25-914.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-914 draws a clean line between two related concepts. Every direction of a court or judge, made or entered in writing and not included in a judgment, is an order.
That definition distinguishes an order from a judgment, which represents the final disposition of a case, and it connects directly back to section 25-908’s definition of a motion as an application for an order — this section defines the very thing a motion asks the court to issue.
Because the definition requires the direction to be made or entered in writing, it also sets a baseline for what counts as an order at all under Nebraska practice. Section 25-915 then addresses how an order issued outside a formal court session gets entered into the official record.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an “order” under Nebraska law?
Any direction of a court or judge, made or entered in writing, that is not included in a judgment.
How is an order different from a judgment?
Section 25-914 defines an order as a written direction not included in a judgment, distinguishing it from the final disposition a judgment represents.
Does an order have to be written to count under this section?
Yes, the definition requires the direction to be made or entered in writing.
How does this definition connect to a motion?
Section 25-908 defines a motion as an application for an order, so this section defines the very thing a motion asks the court to issue.
What happens to an order made when court isn’t in session?
Section 25-915 requires the clerk to enter that order into the court record the same way as an order made during a term.
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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