Looking for Iowa’s rules on marriage, divorce, child custody, and child support? Want to find Iowa’s state’s court forms and instructions and local court websites? Here’s where to start. For a wide range of other articles on family law in Iowa, see the Resources by State section on this site.
Marriage Rules in Iowa
Requirements: No blood test required. You must be of the age of consent, not be too closely related to your intended spouse, not be married to anyone else, and have sufficient mental capacity, meaning you understand what you are doing when you marry. You can marry three days after your marriage license is issued, and your license is good for six months. For more details, check your county clerk’s office.
Common law marriage: Yes. A couple must intend to be married, live together for a significant period of time, and hold themselves out as a married couple.
Community property: No.
Same-sex marriage: Yes.
Iowa Divorce Rules
Grounds for divorce: No-fault. However, fault may be considered by the court as a factor in dividing property or awarding alimony.
Residency requirement: At least one spouse must be a resident of Iowa for one year before filing for divorce.
How property is divided: Equitable division.
Child Custody Rules in Iowa
Child custody guidelines: Iowa courts begin with a presumption that it’s best for a child to have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after a divorce. If possible, judges want to support joint custody arrangements.
Iowa Child Support Rules
Child support guidelines: Iowa requires all parents to support their children. The amount of child support depends primarily on each parent’s income and other resources and how much time each parent spends with the children.
Child support calculators to determine state guidelines: www.alllaw.com/calculators/childsupport/iowa.
State child support enforcement agency: Child Support Enforcement, https://secureapp.dhs.state.ia.us/childsupport/welcome.asp.
Iowa Courts and Other Family Law Resources
Iowa court information and family law forms: www.iowacourts.gov.
Family services section of Iowa website: www.dhs.state.ia.us.
