Introduction
Sometimes a marriage no longer works. One or both people may think about filing for divorce. It is not hard to get a divorce. But it does take some time. You must plan and make some decisions. This booklet may help people thinking about divorce to better prepare for the dissolution of their marriage. If you are divorced and hope to change a term in your original decree, the part on ?modification? may be useful.
Iowa is a ?no-fault? state. This means you no longer must prove one spouse was at fault in the breakdown of the marriage. Courts will grant a divorce where one or both parties say there has been a breakdown of the marriage relationship with no reasonable hope of making it work.
Iowa?s law on divorce is in Chapter 598 of the Iowa Code. Chapter 598B covers custody of minor children. You can find the Code of Iowa at most local libraries or courthouses. Booklets with recent changes in the law are usually kept with the Code itself. Talk to a librarian about using these books but when in doubt, see a lawyer. On the Web, the Code of Iowa is on the Iowa Legislature?s website: www.legis.state.ia.us/Code.html
This guide explains the process of divorce. It covers what the court often looks at in making final decisions about support, custody, and how property is split up.
Return to table of contents
|
