Carlson Family Law, P.C., L.L.O.
Lincoln, Nebraska402-477-0230

Resources

Mediation

Understanding mediation

Finding a mediator

Forms and Instructions for Mediation with Carlson Family Law:

Parenting & custody

Parenting classes

List of Court-Approved Parenting Classes: You can take any of these, but they vary in price and course length. I have been told by various clients that the C.O.P.E. class is inexpensive. If you scroll down to where it says, “Class Style Type”, that is where you can select the virtual classes if you want to take one online.

Parenting plans & schedules

History

Once upon a time, many years ago, many of the judges in Nebraska utilized a standard parenting time schedule called the Wilson v. Wilson plan where one parent got custody, and the other parent got every other weekend and Wednesday evening during the other week. There is nothing wrong with that if it is appropriate for the particular situation, but it is no longer “standard.”

Lancaster County had a standard 10-4 parenting schedule for several years (even while the Wilson v. Wilson plan was standard in other counties) until about 2019 when the State on behalf of Kaaden S. v. Jeffery T., 303 Neb. 933, 937, 932 N.W.2d 692, 698 (2019) case was decided by the Nebraska Supreme Court. Lancaster County’s Standard 10-4 Parenting Plan was available in the court’s local rules.

Now, the courts do not have a “standard” parenting time schedule (see the Kaaden S. case to understand why), and the courts now do everything on a case-by-case basis, but that Lancaster County parenting plan is still a good example of what a 10-4 parenting plan looks like.

Nowadays, the judges are more likely to award joint custody than they were in the days when that was still available on the court’s website. I would not go as far as to say joint custody is always preferred now, but it is certainly more common, and it is no longer frowned upon. I also see far more joint legal custody cases now than I ever did before Kaaden S.

The Third Judicial District local rules (see the link above) do still contain a standard holiday schedule and standard language regarding cooperation and communication between parents. These are things that are often incorporated into a parenting plan.

Co-parenting communication

Co-parenting communication apps can be helpful when there is excessive or hostile communication between the parties. Talking Parents and Our Family Wizard are two that I frequently see judges ordering parties to use.

Child support

Background information

Retired attorney and mediator Mary Kay Hansen provided some general information about child support on her website, which is slightly dated, but generally accurate. She gave me permission to share her resources when she retired.

Payments & guidelines

Nebraska Child Support Payment Center: This is where you will go to pay your child support, and to set up an account to receive the child support. With very few exceptions, once a support order is entered, child support payments should be made through here.

Nebraska Child Support Guidelines: These are the rules that apply to child support, and § 4-212 is the source I use for determining what is joint custody and what is not.

Calculators & worksheets

As an attorney, I have unlimited access to the child support calculator through the bar association. (It is included in my annual dues). There is a free version that looks just like the one I use, but once you log on, you only have access for a few days. So, make sure you have all of the information you need to run a calculation before you create the account. Free child support calculator.

Divorce & finances

Property division & required forms

The Property Statement Form that we have to complete when we have a divorce involving debts and assets to divide in the Fifth Judicial District (including Saunders, Seward and York Counties) can be found in the Local Rules for the Fifth Judicial District. It is somewhat time consuming, so the earlier you start it, the better. Most other judicial districts have their own forms similar to this one.

Retirement accounts & Social Security

What is a QDRO? This is a brief explanation from the IRS.

Need to find out how much you will receive in Social Security at retirement? The Social Secutiry Administration allows you to create an account to check that.

Home appraisals

Need an appraiser for your home? The Nebraska Real Property Appraiser Board has a list of certified appraisers.

College financial aid

Need help understanding financial aid for your college age children? Finaid.org has excellent information on the topic.

Parental alienation

Parental Alienation is a hot topic in family law, and I think many family law attorneys do a real disservice to their clients by dismissing it without really analyzing whether it is occurring. I hear a lot of attorneys making fun of “parental alienation” as being “a buzzword just like ‘narcissist.’” That really irritates me. Sometimes the other side really is a narcissist, and sometimes the other side really is engaging in parental alienation.

That said, one of the reasons they are dismissive is that parental alienation is extremely difficult to prove and very expensive to litigate. That battle is lost as often as it is won. Most attorneys don’t want to tackle something that is so difficult. Obtaining the evidence is hard. Most of the conduct occurs behind closed doors in the other home.

If I thought a client of mine were engaging in alienating behaviors, we would have a very serious discussion about their conduct which they would not enjoy. Please do not call me or try to hire me if you are engaging in parental alienation and unwilling to stop. I won’t tolerate it.

While litigating a case on parental alienation, my expert witness, Dr. Alan Blotcky, provided me with a scholarly article that discusses the kind of alienating behaviors that lead to a child being alienated from his or her parent, which I found helpful. See Bernet Five Factor Model.

Dr. Blotcky also gave me this list of Parental Alienation tips for parents who are experiencing alienation or who are accused of alienation, and I am making it available with his permission. He has published several books on the topic which are worth reading.

Legal help & self-representation

At some point in the conversation, if you call me, I’m going to have to ask you if you can afford me. I don’t like to put it that way, but the simple fact is that most people struggle to pay an attorney between $300 and $400 per hour (or more at some firms in Lincoln) and come up with the retainer required to get a case started. I understand that. We’re not cheap, and the reality is that not every potential client can afford to hire an attorney. If you can’t afford a private attorney, here are some resources that might help:.

Free & reduced-cost legal help

If you are in or around the Lincoln, Nebraska area, the Center for People in Need has compiled a good list of resources.

Legal Aid: (They only have limited resources, but sometimes they can represent you for free. There could be a waiting list.)

Volunteer Lawyer’s Project: This organization pairs people who need free legal help with attorneys willing to provide free or reduced-cost legal help. Many of us attorneys feel more comfortable volunteering through an organization like this than providing direct pro bono services.

Limited scope attorneys are attorneys who will help you with only a portion of your case, rather than representing you through the entire case. This is less expensive. For example, they might just review your final settlement documents and help you understand what they mean.

Handbooks & court self-help

Legal Aid has many useful handbooks for family law litigation, including a divorce handbook. The 2025 Divorce Handbook is specifically for divorce, and if you must represent yourself, I recommend you read the handbook. It will answer many of your questions.

The court’s self-help center

The court’s self-help page for people going through divorce with children: This is a good starting place if you’re doing a divorce on your own. I don’t recommend it if you have a contested custody case, but it’s a starting place.

The court’s self-help page for handling a divorce without children: (FYI: Most of the judges are now requiring that you have an attorney if you own real property or have a retirement account that needs divided.)

Scheduling a hearing

To schedule a hearing, you will need to contact the judge’s bailiff. I usually email them. (Pro tip: Be very nice to them. You want them to like you.) List of contact information for the Lancaster County judges.

Protection orders & other legal needs

Protection orders & safety resources

Do you need a Protection Order? Voices of Hope can help you prepare the forms. Voices of Hope is also a resource for the address confidentiality program. The Nebraska Supreme Court’s website also provides useful information and forms for all three kinds of protection orders. The Nebraska Coalition also has links to other resources, organized by county.

Name changes

Do you want to change your name? First of all, if you’re going through a divorce, that can be done as part of the divorce process, so don’t miss that opportunity. If you’re not going through a divorce, the court has very good instructions, at least if you’re an adult. Just make sure you pay attention to the rules for publishing notice and make sure the Affidavit of publication has been filed before the hearing. This process is harder for a minor child, and I would not recommend doing a name change for a minor child without an attorney.

Power of attorney

Do you need a Power of Attorney? The court does have a form for that.

Small estates

Did a family member just pass away, leaving you the only heir of a small estate? Here’s a form that can help you transfer the assets to yourself.

A guide for young adults

Finally, in general, adulting is hard. If you need a refresher or have children nearing the age when they will leave the nest, the Nebraska State Bar Association literally made a booklet on adulting. More precisely, it’s a guide to those things that a minor needs to know when they reach the age of majority in Nebraska, and they begin to make legal decisions for themselves. Booklet for young adults.