Overwhelmed by debt in Omaha? Nebraska's exemptions protect your home equity, and the right Chapter resets your finances.
Filing bankruptcy in Omaha means filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska, which has an Omaha courthouse. Nebraska protects up to $60,000 of home equity for a single filer, doubling for married couples. Chapter 7 wipes qualifying debt in a few months; Chapter 13 reorganizes it over three to five years. The consumer firms below all handle bankruptcy for Omaha and eastern Nebraska, and most offer free consultations. Each one has a verifiable Nebraska bankruptcy practice.
Bankruptcy is a legal reset that stops collection calls, garnishments, and most foreclosure activity the moment you file. In Omaha the two consumer options are Chapter 7, which erases qualifying unsecured debt in about three to four months, and Chapter 13, which reorganizes debt into a court-approved repayment plan over three to five years. Which one fits depends on your income, your assets, and what you want to protect. Every consumer firm below has a verifiable Nebraska bankruptcy practice serving Omaha and eastern Nebraska.
How we picked these firms: We reviewed peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell), Avvo and Justia ratings, state bar records, and client review patterns. Firms that appeared consistently across at least two independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
These attorneys were selected from Super Lawyers, Avvo, Justia, Expertise.com, Three Best Rated, and BBB listings and cross-referenced against firm-published information and Nebraska records. Omaha-area cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska, which has an Omaha courthouse. Large business-bankruptcy firms such as Koley Jessen and Baird Holm handle creditor-side and corporate restructuring work, which is a different practice from the consumer Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 firms profiled here.
Practice focus: Chapter 7, Chapter 13, consumer and small-business insolvency, debt relief
Why they made the list: Attorney Sam Turco has roughly 33 years of experience, practicing since 1992, and the firm is devoted exclusively to bankruptcy in the District of Nebraska.
Practice focus: Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 13, debt relief
Why they made the list: Attorney John T. Turco is a Super Lawyers selectee with more than 30 years focused solely on bankruptcy.
Practice focus: Chapter 7, Chapter 13, debt relief, consumer bankruptcy
Why they made the list: Attorney Frank Skrupa is a board-certified bankruptcy specialist through the American Board of Certification with more than 32 years in practice, a rare credential in the Omaha area.
Practice focus: Chapter 7, Chapter 13, consumer debt relief
Why they made the list: Founder John A. Lentz received the American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence and offers flexible payment plans.
Practice focus: Chapter 7, Chapter 13, bankruptcy and debt relief
Why they made the list: Owner Thomas M. McGuire III has practiced bankruptcy since 2005, working at two of Nebraska's largest bankruptcy firms before founding his own in 2012.
Practice focus: Chapter 7, Chapter 13, pre-bankruptcy debt-relief alternatives
Why they made the list: Attorney Burke Smith runs a dedicated Omaha consumer bankruptcy practice covering Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, with a free case evaluation.
Practice focus: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy
Why they made the list: Established in 1989, the firm's attorneys report more than 85 years of combined experience handling bankruptcy filings in the Omaha metro, with a 24-hour answering service.
A note on our count. We list seven firms here rather than a forced ten. We would rather show you the Omaha bankruptcy practices we could verify across at least two independent sources than pad the list with a name we cannot stand behind.
Tell us what you owe and what you are trying to protect, and we'll match you with a vetted bankruptcy firm in the Omaha area. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →One federal court, with an Omaha location. Omaha-area cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska, which maintains a courthouse and clerk's office in Omaha as well as in Lincoln.
Nebraska's homestead exemption. Nebraska protects up to $60,000 of home equity for a single filer, doubling to $120,000 for a married couple. There is a two-year residency requirement to use Nebraska's exemptions.
The means test decides Chapter 7 eligibility. Whether you qualify for Chapter 7 turns on your household income against the Nebraska median. If your income is too high, Chapter 13 with a repayment plan is usually the path.
Two short courses are required. Every filer completes an approved credit-counseling course before filing and a debtor-education course after. Both are brief and inexpensive, but skipping either can delay your discharge.
Most Omaha consumer bankruptcy attorneys charge a flat fee, often with payment plans. The ranges below are typical for the area; your exact number depends on the chapter and the complexity of your debts.
| Fee or cost item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Chapter 7 attorney flat fee | Roughly $800 to $1,400 in the Omaha area, with directory estimates clustering around $1,200. |
| Chapter 13 attorney fee | Higher and more standardized, often near the court's no-look fee and built into the repayment plan. |
| Court filing fee, Chapter 7 | $338, set nationally and separate from attorney fees. |
| Court filing fee, Chapter 13 | $313, separate from attorney fees. |
| Credit counseling and debtor education | Two short approved courses, together roughly $15 to $50. |
| Free initial consultation | Offered by most firms on this list. |
Chapter match. A firm that files both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 can steer you to the right one rather than the one it prefers to sell. Ask which chapter fits your numbers and why.
Bankruptcy focus. Several firms here do bankruptcy and little else, including a board-certified specialist. For a straightforward consumer filing, that focus usually means a smoother case.
Written fee and scope. Get the flat fee, what it covers, and whether court costs and the required courses are included, all in writing before you sign.
1. Free consultation and the means test. Your attorney reviews your income, debts, and assets and runs the means test to confirm whether Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 fits.
2. Credit counseling. You complete the required pre-filing credit-counseling course, usually online in an hour or two.
3. The filing and the automatic stay. The petition is filed with the District of Nebraska court. The automatic stay immediately halts collection calls, garnishments, and most foreclosure activity.
4. The 341 meeting. About a month after filing you attend a short meeting of creditors with the trustee. Most consumer meetings are brief and routine.
5. Discharge. After the debtor-education course, Chapter 7 cases typically discharge in a few months; Chapter 13 cases discharge at the end of the repayment plan.
Most firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring your paperwork, write down the answers, and compare at least two firms before you sign.
Omaha-area cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska, which has a courthouse and clerk's office in Omaha as well as in Lincoln.
A Chapter 7 flat fee in the Omaha area usually runs about $800 to $1,400, with estimates clustering around $1,200. Chapter 13 fees are higher and often built into the repayment plan.
Chapter 7 erases qualifying unsecured debt in a few months. Chapter 13 reorganizes debt into a three-to-five-year repayment plan and can stop a foreclosure or catch up missed payments.
Nebraska protects up to $60,000 of home equity for a single filer, doubling for married couples. Many filers keep their homes. Your attorney maps the exemption to your equity.
Nebraska is an opt-out state that requires its own exemptions, including the homestead exemption above. There is a two-year residency requirement to use them.
The filing fee is $338 for Chapter 7 and $313 for Chapter 13, separate from attorney fees. Chapter 7 fee waivers are available for filers below 150% of the federal poverty level.
Yes. A credit-counseling course before filing and a debtor-education course after. Both are short and approved providers are inexpensive.
Most consumer bankruptcy firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Confirm the policy when you call.
One last thing. Debt feels permanent until you do something about it, and bankruptcy is routine for the lawyers who handle it daily. Read the reviews, call two or three firms, and ask each one which chapter your numbers point to. Consistent answers mean you are on solid ground. — The LawFirmSquare team