LawHelp HTML Document

HOPE. DIGNITY. JUSTICE.

A ?subpoena? can be used in this situation. A subpoena is basically a paper ordering a person to show up in Court for a scheduled hearing, so that the person?s testimony can be heard by the Judge. You may want to issue a subpoena even for a cooperative witness, if, for example, the witness has to show an employer the subpoena in order to get permission to miss work.

A subpoena can also be used to have papers or other important evidence brought to court by ordering the person having them to come to court and bring the desired items along. Such items should be specifically described in the subpoena, to avoid confusion.

To ?subpoena? a witness, go to the Clerk of Court as far in advance of the hearing date as possible, and request the Clerk to issue a subpoena to the person in question. The Clerk can explain to you how costs and service of the subpoena are handled.

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.