by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa law requires that the parents in a divorce or child custody case take a court-approved class. This class is called Children in the Middle in
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Under Iowa law, a person who is a chronic substance abuser can be civilly committed. The purpose of such a commitment is to
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Under Iowa law, a person who is “seriously mentally impaired” can be taken into custody and committed to a mental health treatment hospital until they are no longer seriously mentally impaired.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Under Iowa law, a Final Domestic Abuse protective order is entered by the court for a term of up to one year. It is possible for such an order (often called a protective order, or a restraining order) to be extended by the Iowa District Court that granted the
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear When a person or their spouse is in the military, there are special consideration for a divorce case in Iowa.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In Iowa, a guardianship either ends or can be dissolve in the following circumstances
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa law permits couples to enact premarital agreements (also known as prenuptial agreements or antenuptial agreements) prior to marriage. Premarital agreements are becoming increasingly more common and enables couples to come to a mutual understanding of the distribution of property prior to
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa is a “no fault” state when it comes to divorces, although the Iowa Code requires certain grounds be alleged in order for a divorce case to proceed.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In Iowa, one spouse may obtain an annulment of marriage under the following grounds
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear When the Iowa juvenile court takes action against a parent’s rights, that parent can appeal. Child in need of assistance (CINA) appeals in Iowa are governed by the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure and the Rules on Electronic Document Management System, which are the electronic filing of court documents. Because appeals are time sensitive and have specific requirements, it is highly advisable
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In situations where the parents of a child are no longer together, the parent with primary care of the child may decide to move at some point. For the other parent, that could in essence mean losing their child. Iowa law addresses that by considering a move of 150 miles to be a material change in circumstances, which justifies a Petition to Modify custody and physical care.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Grandparents are often very involved with grandchildren, and those bonds that are formed can be meaningful to both the grandparent and grandchild. In many situations, events will occur that result in the child’s parent or parents no longer allowing the grandparent to see the child. Depending upon the circumstances, there may
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Adoption proceedings in Iowa are governed by Iowa Code Chapter 600. An adoption is a legal process whereby a parent-child relationship is established. This article addresses the adoption process in Iowa.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear As part of a divorce or legal separation case in Iowa, the court can award spousal support (also called alimony). There are a few types of spousal support in Iowa that the court can award, for various reasons.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Parental Alienation is a situation commonly produced in divorce and custody cases when one parent (or other person) tries to destroy the relationship between a child and the other parent. Iowa law recognizes such improper action on the part of a parent, grandparent, or other person is seriously harmful to the child, and the Iowa court system can address the situation.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear A history of domestic abuse can have a serious effect upon the custody determinations that the Iowa court makes in a divorce or custody cases.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In the hearts of their human owners, pets can feel like as much a member of the family as a person. As such, getting the right resolution for the distribution of pets in an Iowa divorce case is often of great importance.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In Iowa, when a person fails to follow a court order, the matter can be addressed through a Rule to Show Cause (which is sometimes also called a contempt action). A Rule to Show Cause is most commonly used in family law cases to address violations of court orders involving custody, visitation, child support, and spousal support.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Conciliation is part of the Iowa divorce process in some cases. The purpose of conciliation is to attempt to save the marriage by getting the spouses to work out their differences. Iowa code section 598.16 addresses conciliation.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Under Iowa law, those seeking a divorce are subject to a 90 day waiting period. However, the Iowa code allows for waiver of that waiting period under certain narrow circumstances.