Iowa Divorce Laws Frequently Asked Questions

You must be a resident for either 12 months or 1 year (whichever is longer) before being able to file for divorce.

The Iowa divorce law doesn’t require your spouse to reside in the State of Iowa but, does complicate your divorce process.

Under the Iowa divorce law your spouse is required to be served with a divorce notice to notify him/her of the divorce complaint that you have filed. As your spouse isn’t in Iowa you will need the services of a server who can serve this notice. This of course requires more paper work, more time and more money.

The uniqueness of each divorce case makes it hard for anyone to predict how long it will take for you to end your marriage.

Different counties in Iowa have different court filing fee for divorce.

Iowa divorce lawyers normally charge by the hour. Some Iowa divorce lawyers charge a set fee.

The uniqueness of each divorce case makes it hard to say how much your divorce will cost you. On average a divorce costs $18,000.

The Iowa divorce law gives you the right to represent yourself in court however; it isn’t advisable to do so. An Iowa divorce lawyer understands the divorce process much better and thus will represent your interests better in court.

Yes, Iowa divorce law requires that both spouses be represented separately in court.

Yes, Iowa does recognize common law marriages. In Iowa a common law marriage is established when both spouses’ intend to and agree to be married. They must have continuous cohabitation and must be publicly declared as husband and wife.

Yes, Iowa dissolves marriages without requiring fault.