Iowa Legal Guides
28 guides covering Iowa topics, each with Caselaw search beside the article.
Where to search Iowa lawFree caselaw search for Iowa — search by citation, case name, or legal issue, with full text and PDFs.
- Adverse Possession in Iowa
Iowa adverse possession: 10 years under Iowa Code § 614.1(5). Elements, taxes, color of title, and linked Iowa opinions.
- Can I Get Sued After a Car Accident in Iowa? Does Fault Matter?
Iowa car accident lawsuits and fault: modified comparative fault with a 51% bar (recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault) under Iowa Code § 668.3, when you can sue or be sued, insurance rules, and the statute of limitations (2 years — Iowa Code § 614.1(2)).
- Castle Doctrine in Iowa: Deadly Force Against Intruders
Iowa castle doctrine: when occupants may use deadly force against home intruders, key statutes (Iowa Code § 704.2A), presumptions, and leading cases.
- Child Custody and Parenting Time in Iowa
How Iowa courts decide custody and parenting time under Iowa Code §§ 598.41, 600B.40, including best-interests factors, relocation, and modification.
- DUI Penalties in Iowa
Iowa DUI penalties under Iowa Code § 321J.2: BAC limits, first-offense range, when a DUI becomes a felony, and ignition-interlock rules.
- How Does Bond Work in Iowa? Bail and Pretrial Release Explained
Iowa bail and bond explained: cash, surety, and ROR. Types of release, what judges consider at a bail hearing, forfeiture risks, and linked Iowa opinions under Iowa Code §§ 811.1 to 811.12.
- How Does Eviction Work in Iowa?
Iowa eviction / forcible entry and detainer under Iowa Code §§ 648.1 to 648.23; Iowa Code § 562A.27: notices, filing forum, timeline to a writ of possession, and common tenant defenses.
- How Do You Make a Valid Will In Iowa?
To make a valid will in Iowa, the will must be: In writing; Signed by the testator; Witnessed and signed by two witnesses. The basic requirements for a valid will under Iowa law can be found at Iowa Probate Code § 15-2-502 . Who Can …
- How to File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer in Iowa: Pro Se Litigation Guide
A practical Iowa guide to representing yourself: what statutes, cases, and rules are; how to draft and file a petition; how service and EDMS / Iowa Courts Online registration work; discovery; evidence; and how LawDiver helps you research authorities in the corpus.
- How to File for Divorce in Iowa
Iowa divorce filing guide: At least one party must have resided in Iowa for 1 year before filing (shorter presence may support separate-maintenance style relief in limited cases). equitable distribution; linked statutes and process overview.
- How to Get a Prison Sentence Reduced in Iowa
Paths to shorten or correct a Iowa prison sentence under Iowa Code § 903.231: modification motions, good-time credits, parole, and post-conviction relief — with linked Iowa opinions.
- How to Modify Child Support in Iowa
Step-by-step guide to modifying a Iowa child support order under Iowa Code § 598.21C; § 598.21B (guidelines): what counts as a change in circumstances, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- How to Modify Spousal Support in Iowa
Step-by-step guide to modifying spousal support in Iowa under Iowa Code § 598.21C(1): changed-circumstances standards, retirement and cohabitation rules, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- Iowa Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated
How Iowa calculates child support under Iowa Code § 598.21B; Iowa Child Support Guidelines, including the income shares, deviations, modification, and leading cases.
- Iowa Court Recognizes Illegitimate Child As Legal Heir In Probate
In Langerman v. Mohr , a November 3, 2021 opinion, the Iowa appellate court affirmed a probate court decision that an illegitimate son was the legal heir of his father because the father recognized him as his child in a general and notoriou…
- Iowa Evidence Law: Admissibility, Hearsay, and Authenticity
A practitioner guide to Iowa evidence law under the Iowa Rules of Evidence: general admissibility, character evidence, hearsay and its workhorse exceptions, unavailable declarants, depositions at trial, party admissions, dying declarations, medical statements, and a dedicated authenticity section — with case and statute links in the LawDiver corpus.
- Iowa Spousal support (alimony): Eligibility, Amount, and Duration
How Iowa courts award spousal support (alimony) under Iowa Code § 598.21A: eligibility, statutory factors, duration, and leading cases.
- Iowa Supreme Court: Surviving Settlor Cannot Modify Irrevocable Trust Without Court Approval
In Little v. Davis , a May 6, 2022 opinion from the Iowa Supreme Court, the Court concluded that a surviving settlor of an irrevocable trust cannot, even with the consent of all of the beneficiaries, modify the dispositive terms of an irrev…
- Iowa Supreme Court: Tortious Interference With An Inheritance Action Barred Unless Joined With A Timely Will Contest
In Youngblut v. Youngblut , the Iowa Supreme Court considered its first tortious interference with an inheritance case in almost 30 years, overruling its prior decisions and holding that a claim alleging that a decedent’s will resulted from…
- Iowa Supreme Court: Tortious Interference With an Inheritance Requires Defendant To Have Knowledge of Plaintiff’s Expectancy Of an Inheritance
In Buboltz v. Birusingh , a June 11, 2021 opinion from the Iowa Supreme Court, the Court addressed the question of whether a cause of action for tortious interference with inheritance requires the plaintiff to prove that the defendant had k…
- Iowa Supreme Court: You Can’t Adjudicate Validity Of a Will Before a Testator’s Death
In In Re Guardianship and Conservatorship of Radda , the Iowa Supreme Court addressed whether a prospective heir can bring an action to determine the validity of a will before the death of the testator. The answer: no. The Facts Of In Re Gu…
- Is Abortion Legal in Iowa?
Iowa abortion law after Dobbs: gestational limit. Generally prohibited after detection of a fetal heartbeat (~6 weeks). Linked statutes and Iowa opinions.
- Security Deposit Return in Iowa
How Iowa landlords must handle residential security deposits under Iowa Code § 562A.12: limits, return deadlines, and wrongful-withholding remedies.
- Stand Your Ground Laws in Iowa
Iowa stand-your-ground overview (statutory stand-your-ground): duty to retreat, statutes, civil immunity, and controlling cases.
- Surviving Spouse Rights Iowa
When a married Iowan dies, Iowa law provides the widow important surviving spouse rights, including: Intestate Share Support Allowance Elective Share Exempt Personal Property Homestead What if My Spouse Died Without a Will (Intestacy) In Io…
- The Iowa Path to Expungement
Iowa expungement begins with Iowa Code § 123.46, consumption or intoxication in public places. This guide follows that petition, the records that travel under a different section, and the opinions that have already decided these requests.
- What Happens If I Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in Iowa?
Iowa implied-consent consequences for refusing a chemical breath or blood test under Iowa Code § 321J.6, including license suspension and evidence use.
- Who Are Next Of Kin In Iowa?
Under Iowa law “next of kin” are generally the people entitled to take by intestate succession. Next of kin for purposes of intestate succession in Iowa are the: Surviving spouse Children Parents Siblings Grandparents Great-grandparents Iss…