§ 6-1111.Signing of pleadings; attorney assistance to parties not otherwise represented.
Article 11: Nebraska Court Rules of Pleading in Civil Cases. (Effective January 1, 2025.) · Last amended January 1, 2025 · Last verified July 22, 2026
This section prints two full, separately-dated versions in the official compilation (the January 1, 2025 discovery/pleading rewrite); both are shown below, current version first.
In one sentenceSection 6-1111 requires every pleading, motion, and filed document to be signed and to list the signer’s contact information, and explains when an attorney may help a self-represented party without formally appearing for them.
Full Text of § 6-1111
Text sizeCurrent version (effective January 1, 2025) — jump to: (a)(b)
Prior version (in effect before January 1, 2025) — jump to: (a)(b)
§ 6-1111. Signing of pleadings; attorney assistance to parties not otherwise represented. — Current version (effective January 1, 2025)
(1)Every pleading, written motion, and other document must be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's name or by a party personally if the party is not represented by an attorney. Section 2-201(M) governs what constitutes a signature for documents filed electronically through the court-authorized service provider.
(2)Unsigned Document. The court must strike an unsigned document that is not filed through the court- authorized service provider unless the omission of the signature is corrected promptly after being called to the filer’s attention.
(3)Required Information. Every document filed must state the signer’s address, email address, telephone number, and, if filed by an attorney, the attorney’s bar identification number. Unless a statute specifically states otherwise, a pleading need not be verified or accompanied by affidavit.
(b)Assistance to Parties Not Otherwise Represented by an Attorney.
(1)Preparation of Documents. Section 3-501.2(c) governs an attorney’s preparation of pleadings, briefs or other documents for a party not otherwise represented by an attorney.
(2)Limited Appearance. Section 3-501.2(d)-(e) governs an attorney’s entry of a limited appearance on behalf of a party not otherwise represented by an attorney.
§ 6-1111. Signing of pleadings; attorney assistance to parties not otherwise represented. — Prior version (in effect before January 1, 2025)
(1)Every pleading, written motion, and other paper shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's name, or by a party personally if the party is not represented by an attorney. An unsigned document, other than an electronic filing, shall be stricken unless omission of the signature is corrected promptly after being called to the attention of the filer.
(2)An electronic filing made through a filer’s court-authorized service provider account and authorized by the filer, together with the filer’s name on a signature block, constitutes the person’s signature. A user is responsible for all filings made on his or her account, absent clear and convincing evidence of unauthorized use of the account.
(3)Each document for filing shall state the signer’s address, email address, if any, and telephone number, and the attorney’s bar identification number, if filed by an attorney. Except when otherwise specifically provided by statute, pleadings need not be verified or accompanied by affidavit.
(b)When a lawyer is not an attorney of record, such lawyer may prepare pleadings, briefs, and other documents to be filed with the court so long as such filings clearly indicate that said filings are “Prepared By” along with the name, address, email address, telephone number, and bar number of the lawyer preparing the same. Such actions or filings shall not be deemed an appearance by the lawyer in the case.
(c)-(d) [Reserved]
Amendment History
Current version (effective January 1, 2025)
Rule 11(a)(1-3) amended June 25, 2008, effective July 18, 2008. Renumbered and codified as § 6-1111(a)(1-3), effective July 18, 2008; § 6-1111(b) adopted September 3, 2008; § 6-1111(a)(1) and (b) amended September 24, 2014, effective January 1, 2015; § 6-1111 amended June 9, 2021, effective January 1, 2022; § 6-1111 amended November 13, 2024, effective January 1, 2025..
Prior version (in effect before January 1, 2025)
Rule 11(a)(1-3) amended June 25, 2008, effective July 18, 2008. Renumbered and codified as § 6-1111(a)(1-3), effective July 18, 2008; § 6-1111(b) adopted September 3, 2008; § 6-1111(a)(1) and (b) amended September 24, 2014, effective January 1, 2015; § 6-1111 amended June 9, 2021, effective January 1, 2022.
Official Comment
Current version (effective January 1, 2025)
COMMENTS TO § 6-1111 [1] The rule is a truncated version of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Both rules provide that pleadings, motions, and other documents must be signed. That is where the similarities end. Federal Rule 11(b)-(d) addresses sanctions for filing pleadings and other documents that lack a reasonable basis in law or fact. Section 6-1111 does not address sanctions because they are governed by statute, more specifically, by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-824. [2] The 2021 Amendments incorporated verbatim the definition of “signature” that appears in § 2-201(M) of Electronic Filing, Service, and Notice System Rules. The 2024 Amendments replaced the definition with a cross- reference to § 2-201. [3] In 2014, provisions were added to subpart (b) to address when an attorney may prepare pleadings and other documents for a self-represented party. The provisions were identical to provisions in § 3-501.2(c) of the Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct. In 2024, subpart (b) was given a new title – “Assistance to Parties not Otherwise Represented by an Attorney” – and the text was replaced by cross-references to § 3-501.2(c) and § 3- 501.2(d)-(e). The latter rule addresses limited appearances.
Plain-English Summary
Section 6-1111 covers who has to sign court documents and what a signature has to include. Every pleading, written motion, and other document needs the signature of at least one attorney of record, or of the party personally if no attorney is involved; Section 2-201(M) defines what counts as a signature for documents filed electronically. If a document isn’t filed electronically and comes in unsigned, the court has to strike it — unless the missing signature gets fixed promptly once someone points it out.
Every filed document also has to list the signer’s address, email address, and phone number, and, if an attorney signed it, that attorney’s bar number. Unless a statute says otherwise, a pleading doesn’t need to be verified or backed by an affidavit.
Subsection (b) addresses a different situation: a lawyer helping someone who is otherwise representing themselves. Section 3-501.2(c) of the Rules of Professional Conduct governs an attorney preparing pleadings, briefs, or other documents for a self-represented party, and Section 3-501.2(d)-(e) governs an attorney entering a limited appearance on that party’s behalf. Nebraska’s rule doesn’t address sanctions for filing groundless documents the way the federal signature rule does — that’s handled instead by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-824.
The 2025 amendments replaced a stand-alone definition of “signature” with a cross-reference to Section 2-201, and rewrote subsection (b) to point to the Rules of Professional Conduct rather than restating those rules’ text directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to sign a pleading or motion in a Nebraska civil case?
At least one attorney of record, or the party personally if there’s no attorney involved. Electronic filings have their own signature rule under Section 2-201(M).
What happens if I file something without a signature?
If the document wasn’t filed electronically, the court has to strike it — unless the missing signature is fixed promptly after someone brings it to the filer’s attention.
What contact information does a filed document need to include?
The signer’s address, email address, and phone number, and, if an attorney signed it, that attorney’s bar identification number.
Do I have to notarize or verify my pleading?
Not unless a statute specifically requires it. Otherwise a pleading doesn’t need to be verified or backed by an affidavit.
Can a lawyer help me write my court papers without formally representing me in the case?
Yes. Section 3-501.2(c) allows an attorney to prepare pleadings and other documents for a self-represented party, and a separate provision governs a limited appearance if the lawyer takes on a narrower role.
Does this rule cover sanctions for filing a frivolous pleading?
No. Sanctions for pleadings that lack a reasonable basis in law or fact are governed by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-824, not by this signature rule.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Judicial Branch, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Nebraska. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
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