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HOPE. DIGNITY. JUSTICE.

There are two main ways to find out what the law has to say about your set of circumstances.

First: You could talk to a lawyer. Of course, most lawyers will charge you a fee for giving you any advice or information. But since the information could be very helpful, it might be well worth it. If you have a low income, a lawyer may give you free advice as part of the lawyer?s professional obligation to make legal help available to low-income people. Another possibility would be to go to the Legal Aid office serving your area to ask for free legal help.

Second: You could look up the law yourself. The Code of Iowa is available online at http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IowaLaw.html Most public libraries will have a current copy of the four-volume Code of Iowa, along with an easy-to-use index. Courthouses are also likely to have the Code of Iowa. With a little patience and careful reading, you can often find what you are looking for. You should not be afraid to tell the Small Claims Judge at the hearing what you found out. It might help the Judge apply the law to your case.

BUT REMEMBER: Even the Code of Iowa does not contain all the law, and the Code of Iowa itself can sometimes be hard to understand. So while it is a good idea to become comfortable with looking up the law yourself, advice should probably be obtained from a lawyer, if possible, in important or complicated situations.

READ THIS BEFORE USING ANY PART OF THE IOWA LEGAL AID WEBSITE (ILAW) If you cannot afford a lawyer and have a legal problem in Iowa, you may be able to get free legal help. Call Iowa Legal Aid. To find out which office serves your county, call 1-800-532-1275 or 515-243-2151 in the Des Moines calling area. If you are age 60 or over, you may be able to get free legal advice from The Legal Hotline for Older Iowans at 1-800-992-8161 or 282-8161 in Des Moines. All numbers are Voice and TTY.

This Website Does NOT Give Legal Advice. When you use ILAW, you are just making a request for information. No part of this site or any link found through this site is meant to give you legal advice. Using any part of this site does not make you a client. If you send an e-mail to anyone you reach through this site, it does not make you a client of any lawyer. See a lawyer to get complete, correct, and up-to-date legal advice.

ILAW Only Has a General Summary of the Law. It is not meant to fully explain topics. Do not assume what you read on ILAW applies to your specific case. Also, the law may vary from state to state. What you find on this website may not apply where you live or to court actions filed in other states.

The Law Often Changes. Content on this site was correct when it was written. Check the date on each page. Do not assume what you see here is still correct when you read it.

Links. This website has links to other Internet sites. We have these links so you can find help on legal matters from the justice community. Other sites are responsible for all content on their sites.

E-mail. Using ILAW or sending e-mail through this website does NOT make you a client of any person or program you reach through this site. When you use e-mail, you risk having someone else access part or all of your message.

Click here for the Iowa Legal Aid Internet Privacy Policy.

Click here for the Iowa Legal Aid Public and Client Complaint Procedures.

As You Look at this Website, Remember it is Not a Substitute for Legal Advice.

The Iowa Legal Aid Website is a project of Iowa Legal Aid, the Volunteer Lawyer Projects of the Iowa State Bar and Polk County Bar Associations, and HELP Legal Assistance

Comunity Legal Education booklets Iowa Legal Aid printed material is available to clients and the public. Click here for a publications order form.