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What is Advance Processing? The United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends that all prospective parents file an application for “Advance Processing” before they ...

Alimony (or spousal support) is a court-ordered mandate for one party to financially support the other following a divorce. The court may grant temporary or permanent alimony; the length of time and ...

When divorce proceedings come to an end, it won’t necessarily mean you don’t have to see your ex in court again. When a court issues its final judgment regarding the dissolution of your marriage, it ...

Beginning New Years Day, 2019, the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) go into effect. Among the reforms that the TCJA provides is a radical shift in how the age-old alimony tax deduction ...

Contrary to popular belief, mothers are not automatically given primary custody in Iowa. The Iowa courts recognize that fathers play just as important a role in their children's lives as mothers do. ...

Co-Parenting Is Never Easy Divorcing or separating when you have children is a difficult process. After the divorce or separation is finalized, you and your former partner will have to learn how to ...

The issue of child custody in an Iowa divorce often seems to boil down to a battle between parents’ desires. This can be a misguided approach as courts generally decide this issue not on what is best ...

Why Child Support Is Important According to Iowa Law , parents are legally obligated to support their minor children. Typically, this support ends at 18, but if the child is still a full-time high ...

Whose Responsibility Is College? In Iowa, the court can order parents to pay some of their child's college expenses. The courts refer to this as a postsecondary education subsidy . Many people are ...

Financial Consequences for Missing Child Support When a spouse misses child support payments, the party who is entitled to receive child support can institute specific legal actions to enforce the ...

Divorcing is never an easy process, and even in the best of circumstances, it can take time. Depending on the nature of your divorce, it can take as little as 90 days. However, if you are dealing with ...

Financial transparency is a necessity when it comes to marriage. In many cases, however, one spouse may handle all of the couple’s finances, leaving the other spouse in the dark as to understanding ...

The issue of child custody in an Iowa divorce often seems to boil down to a battle between parents’ desires. This can be a misguided approach as courts generally decide this issue not on what is best ...

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), more than 10 million individuals suffer some type of domestic violence incident every year. This breaks down to one in four women ...

Few things are as horrifying as domestic violence, which continues to claim millions of victims every year. Iowa state law defines domestic violence as assault which occurs between people who are ...

Do Fathers Have Rights in a Divorce or Separation? When going through a separation or divorce involving children, many parents' primary concerns are that their children are supported and their ...

Do Grandparents Have Legal Rights in Iowa? Grandparents play a significant role in their grandchildren's lives. In addition to strong emotional bonds, many grandparents are also responsible for child ...

Not every bump in the road spells out disaster in a marriage. In some cases, spouses can work past their disagreements, get through their rough patches, and strengthen their bond as a couple. In other ...

Divorce can be an expensive endeavor. Besides court and legal fees, divorcees can expect to face new financial obligations. As a result, a person’s credit is vulnerable during such stressful ...

A parent may be liable for a minor ‘ s torts. The parent may be found liable if the parent was negligent in their actions. The parent may be liable for an injury inflicted by the minor, if the injury ...

Wasteful dissipation occurs when one spouse wastes or intentionally fails to protect marital assets. As simple as this may sound, proving wasteful dissipation of marital assets in court is actually a ...

As a state with a large number of agricultural professions, Iowa views animals as personal property. When a couple goes into a divorce without a prenuptial agreement, the judge will usually determine ...

Equitable Distribution of Marital Assets Most states divide marital assets and liabilities according to the principles of “equitable distribution,” while other states use the “community property” ...