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Uncontested divorce in Iowa

There are two marriage dissolution options that spouses in the state of Iowa can file for: contested and uncontested.

Contested dissolution. A contested divorce is inevitable in cases when spouses are in a disagreement concerning property division, child custody and support, or alimony. That is why they need to hire lawyers that would represent their interests in court, and there might be a few hearings depending on the complexity of the case. That is why this kind of divorce is considered extremely time-consuming and costly.
Uncontested divorce. This type of dissolution is much cheaper and faster than the contested one. First of all, a couple does not necessarily need to hire a lawyer if they managed to come to an agreement, which can save them a lot of money. Secondly, an uncontested divorce is usually finalized as soon as it is legally allowed, which makes it rather quick.

Despite the fact that applying for an uncontested dissolution does not require much effort, there is still a large number of papers you must submit to guarantee that your divorce will be finalized. All the required documents need to be filled out accurately to avoid any errors. It is also necessary to select only the forms that are relevant to your particular case. If you prepare the wrong divorce papers or fill them out incorrectly, your petition will likely be rejected by the court. That is why the best option in this case is to use OnlineDivorcer to get your documents.

We a reliable online company with 12 years of experience in the divorce forms market. Working with us, you will get a full package of forms filled out for your specific case along with the filing instructions that will allow you to proceed with your divorce successfully.

To file for uncontested divorce,
you will have to complete

15 forms

on average

Were you looking for free iowa divorce forms?

Download our samples of free printable divorce papers for iowa and reconsider preparing the forms on your own

Filing for divorce in Iowa without a lawyer

If you made a decision to complete your divorce without attorney’s help, follow these steps:

Check if you meet the residency requirements of the state. In Iowa, unless the respondent is a resident of Iowa and is personally served, the Petitioner must have been a resident of the state for at least 1 year before filing.
Collect and fill out all the required divorce forms.
File the documents in the courthouse of the county where you or your ex reside and pay the filing fee.
Serve the paperwork to your spouse. In Iowa, you can personally hand the forms to your spouse or send them by regular mail. However, in this case, your ex-husband or wife needs to sign Acceptance of Service. Alternatively, you can ask the county sheriff, process server, or any third-party older than 18 to deliver the documents.
Wait until the court schedules the hearing.
In Iowa, you need to attend the final hearing to answer some questions of a judge if any.
Wait until the judge finalizes your divorce.

How does it work?

01

See if you qualify for online divorce

02

Fill out an online questionnaire

03

Print, sign and file

How to complete a do it yourself divorce in Iowa?

Many people who are striving to save some money consider a DIY divorce in Iowa. However, they usually do not know what they are signing up for. We want to explain the whole DIY dissolution process to you so that you can be conscious of all its pitfalls:

Make sure that you meet the state's residency requirements.
Additionally, double-check if you and your ex-husband or wife are in complete agreement on all aspects of divorce in order to qualify for an uncontested legal breakup.
Find the official website of your state. Here, you need to find out which forms you need to fill out as well as review useful information about the divorce process.
If you and your spouse have children, you need to find the following: 1) state custody and support guidelines; 2) all the child-related forms; 3) whether you need to attend parenting classes.
Now you can start filling out all the forms, researching any unfamiliar words and phrases to know exactly what is asked of you. This aspect is critical since any incorrect form will be rejected by the clerk.
Also, please bear in mind that certain fields in the forms have to be left blank for the county clerk to fill them out.
In the end, find out if you need to take some legal lessons before you defend yourself in court.
Now you can print and sign the documents. However, please mind that some papers might have to be signed in front of the notary.

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Iowa divorce documents

As there are various forms you may need to fill in, we have decided to provide you with the most common ones:

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
Financial Affidavit
Settlement Agreement for Dissolution of Marriage with Children
Confidential Information Form

Iowa divorce papers online

In order to get your Iowa divorce forms filled out, you will need to have the following information on your hands:

Your and your spouse’s full name and date of birth.
Date and location of your marriage.
Your and your spouse’s current address, as well as the address of all real property you own.
Full names, dates of birth, and current address of your children.
Information about your income, debt, insurance, and taxes.
Workplace information – both yours and spouse’s.
Info about vehicles you both own, such as model, make, year, and VIN.
SSN and driver’s license number.
Information about any previous court cases involving you or your children.
Description of property you and your spouse own.
Financial accounts information.

There might be some additional details required depending on your individual case.

Things you need to know

Filing

You have to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in the courthouse of the county where you or your spouse live. The paperwork then has to be sent to the other spouse by a sheriff, process server, or a third-party of age. You can also deliver it yourself if your ex-husband or wife agrees to sign Acceptance of Service.

Residency Requirements

Unless the respondent is a resident of Iowa and is personally served, the Petitioner must have been a resident of the state for at least 1 year prior to filing.

Waiting Period

The waiting period in Iowa is 90 days.

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Getting a divorce in Iowa with a child

If you have kids and want to start a divorce process, there are quite a few things you need to consider beforehand:

As in many other states, Iowa courts consider child’s best interests while determining custody.
According to 2019 Iowa Code, courts are usually inclined to encourage parents to cooperate and share the rights and responsibilities. That is why parents are usually granted shared legal custody unless one of the parents is deemed unfit for it.

Joint physical custody (living with both parents) does not necessarily presuppose that a kid will spend an equal amount of time with both spouses. Such aspects will be regulated by a parenting plan and a judge.
Before granting any type of custody, a judge needs to make sure that a child will not suffer from a lack of communication with both parents and that both parents have actively contributed to child’s upbringing. Also, the judge takes into account school and household proximity, if there is any history of abuse or neglect, etc.
In Iowa, either or both spouses will be obliged to pay child support. The approximate amount can be calculated in the Iowa Child Support Estimator.

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Testimonials

Susan K.

Iowa

I haven’t heard about services like this before, but I was advised to use this one. I am really glad that I had such a great opportunity. They made my divorce process really simple and I didn’t have to spend a lot!

John S.

Iowa

A fantastic service. Everything went easy and without any problems. Their customer support team is always willing to help. Really good.

Kathy S.

Iowa

Highly recommend! Lawyers are just out there to get your money and you can actually do everything pretty easily yourself. Get the documents here, file using their guide, and you’re essentially divorced!

List of counties in iowa

Adair County Adams County Allamakee County Appanoose County Audubon County Benton County Black Hawk County Boone County Bremer County Buchanan County Buena Vista County Butler County Calhoun County Carroll County Cass County Cedar County Cerro Gordo County Cherokee County Chickasaw County Clarke County Clay County Clayton County Clinton County Crawford County Dallas County Davis County Decatur County Delaware County Des Moines County Dickinson County Dubuque County Emmet County Fayette County Floyd County Franklin County Fremont County Greene County Grundy County Guthrie County Hamilton County Hancock County Hardin County Harrison County Henry County Howard County Humboldt County Ida County Iowa County Jackson County Jasper County Jefferson County Johnson County Jones County Keokuk County Kossuth County Lee County Linn County Louisa County Lucas County Lyon County Madison County Mahaska County Marion County Marshall County Mills County Mitchell County Monona County Monroe County Montgomery County Muscatine County O'Brien County Osceola County Page County Palo Alto County Plymouth County Pocahontas County Polk County Pottawattamie County Poweshiek County Ringgold County Sac County Scott County Shelby County Sioux County Story County Tama County Taylor County Union County Van Buren County Wapello County Warren County Washington County Wayne County Webster County Winnebago County Winneshiek County Woodbury County Worth County Wright County

FAQ

Can I file for divorce in Iowa without hiring a lawyer?

If you are filing for an uncontested divorce, then you can do it without hiring a lawyer. An uncontested divorce means that you and your spouse are in agreement and do not need any legal advice.

How to file for uncontested divorce in Iowa by myself?

Follow these steps to file for divorce in Iowa:

Check whether you meet residency requirements.
Fill out all the needed divorce forms.
Visit the clerk’s office to submit your documents. Here, you will also pay the filing fee and receive the case number. After that, the papers can be copied and sent to your spouse.
Serve the paperwork to your spouse.
Attend the final hearing.
Wait until a judge finalizes your divorce.

Where to file for uncontested divorce in Iowa?

You need to file for divorce in the courthouse of the county where you or your spouse live.

What Iowa divorce forms do you need to start a divorce?

Here is a list of basic Iowa divorce papers:

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
Confidential Information Form
Original Notice for Personal Service
Acceptance of Service
Financial Affidavit
Parenting Plan

Mind that you may need much more forms depending on your specific case.

How much does a divorce cost in Iowa?

The filing costs are set by the courts and therefore may vary from county to county. The average fee is $265. If you hire a lawyer to help with your divorce process, the average cost will be $11,700 for uncontested cases and up to $26,000 for contested ones. However, you can reduce the costs by working with a reliable online divorce service.

How long does a divorce take in Iowa?

It takes 90 days in the state of Iowa to finalize a divorce as soon as all the required paperwork is filed.

What are the residency requirements for getting a divorce in Iowa?

All spouses filing in IO have to reside there for 1 year if the other spouse does not live in the state. If he or she does, the petitioner does not have to wait to file.

Can I download other iowa divorce forms online for free?

We provide only three samples of free printable uncontested divorce forms in iowa for you to realize how much time you will spend filling 15 of them out on your own.

Where can I find more details regarding legal aspects of my divorce?

Please review iowa divorce laws for further information.

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3141 Counties and county equivalents

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1. The content of this website cannot be a substitute for the advice of a legal attorney. OnlineDivorcer.com is a platform that provides access to self-guided and computer-aided online questionnairies only.
2. We aim to keep our forms up-to-date, but regulations change quickly. If the forms are outdated or incorrect and cannot be accepted by the court, we will fix your documents without any additional charges or you will be able to receive your money back based on our Refund Policy / Money Back Guarantee.
3. We are not associated with any law firm. Our employees cannot give legal advice in any way. If you believe that we were giving you legal advice - please do not use this information and email us at support@onlinedivorcer.com.
4. Court filing fees or any other fees associated with filing are paid separately to the court.

Warning

We take no responsibility for the samples of free do-it-yourself divorce papers in iowa that you can download from our website. All samples of free iowa divorce papers have been prepared for general informational purposes only and cannot be filed with the court.

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