§ 598.1 Definitions
§ 598.2 Jurisdiction and venue
§ 598.2A Choice of law
§ 598.3 Kind of action — joinder
§ 598.4 Caption of petition for dissolution
§ 598.5 Contents of petition — verification — evidence
§ 598.7 Mediation
§ 598.8 Hearings — exceptions
§ 598.9 Residence — failure of proof
§ 598.10 Temporary orders
§ 598.11 How temporary order made — changes — retroactive modification
§ 598.12 Guardian ad litem for minor child
§ 598.12A Attorney for minor child
§ 598.12B Child custody investigators and child and family reporters
§ 598.13 Financial statements filed
§ 598.14 Attachment
§ 598.15 Mandatory course — parties to certain proceedings
§ 598.16 Conciliation — domestic relations divisions
§ 598.17 Dissolution of marriage — evidence
§ 598.18 Recrimination not a bar to dissolution of marriage
§ 598.19 Waiting period before decree
§ 598.20 Forfeiture of marital rights
§ 598.20A Beneficiary revocation — life insurance
§ 598.20B Beneficiary revocation — other contracts
§ 598.21 Orders for disposition of property
§ 598.21A Orders for spousal support
§ 598.21B Orders for child support and medical support
§ 598.21C Modification of child, spousal, or medical support orders
§ 598.21D Relocation of parent as grounds to modify order of child custody
§ 598.21E Contesting paternity to challenge child support order
§ 598.21F Postsecondary education subsidy
§ 598.21G Minor parent — parenting classes
§ 598.22 Support payments — clerk of court — collection services center or comparable government entity in another state — defaults — security
§ 598.22A Satisfaction of support payments
§ 598.22B Information required in order or judgment
§ 598.22C Child support — social security disability dependent benefits
§ 598.22D Separate fund or conservatorship for support
§ 598.23 Contempt proceedings — alternatives to jail sentence
§ 598.23A Contempt proceedings for provisions of support payments — activity governed by a license
§ 598.24 Costs if party is in default or contempt
§ 598.25 Parties and court granting marriage dissolution decree — notice
§ 598.26 Record — impounding — violation indictable
§ 598.28 Separate maintenance and annulment
§ 598.29 Annulling illegal marriage — causes
§ 598.30 Validity determined
§ 598.31 Children — legitimacy
§ 598.32 Annulment — compensation
§ 598.33 Order to vacate
§ 598.34 Recipients of public assistance — assignment of support payments
§ 598.36 Attorney fees in proceeding to modify order or decree
§ 598.37 Name change
§ 598.41 Custody of children
§ 598.41A Visitation — history of crimes against a minor
§ 598.41B Visitation — restrictions — murder of parent
§ 598.42 Notice of certain orders by clerk of court

Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 598 - Dissolution of Marriage and Domestic Relations

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • bank: means an entity as defined in section 12C. See Iowa Code 633D.2
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Beneficiary form: means a registration of a security which indicates the present owner of the security and the intention of the owner regarding the person who will become the owner of the security upon the death of the owner. See Iowa Code 633D.2
  • Best interest of the child: includes but is not limited to the opportunity for maximum continuous physical and emotional contact possible with both parents, unless direct physical or significant emotional harm to the child may result from this contact. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Child: includes child by adoption. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • clerk: means clerk of the court in which the action or proceeding is brought or is pending; and the words "clerk's office" mean the office of that clerk. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
  • custody: means an award of the rights of legal custody of a minor child to a parent under which a parent has legal custodial rights and responsibilities toward the child. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • deed: is a pplied to an instrument conveying lands, but does not imply a sealed instrument; and the words "bond" and "indenture" do not necessarily imply a seal, and the word "undertaking" means a promise or security in any form. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Dissolution of marriage: means a termination of the marriage relationship and shall be synonymous with the term "divorce". See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • joint legal custody: means an award of legal custody of a minor child to both parents jointly under which both parents have legal custodial rights and responsibilities toward the child and under which neither parent has legal custodial rights superior to those of the other parent. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Joint physical care: means an award of physical care of a minor child to both joint legal custodial parents under which both parents have rights and responsibilities toward the child including but not limited to shared parenting time with the child, maintaining homes for the child, providing routine care for the child and under which neither parent has physical care rights superior to those of the other parent. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Minor child: means any person under legal age. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Physical care: means the right and responsibility to maintain a home for the minor child and provide for the routine care of the child. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Postsecondary education subsidy: means an amount which either of the parties may be required to pay under a temporary order or final judgment or decree for educational expenses of a child who is between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two years if the child is regularly attending a course of career and technical training either as a part of a regular school program or under special arrangements adapted to the individual person's needs; or is, in good faith, a full-time student in a college, university, or community college; or has been accepted for admission to a college, university, or community college and the next regular term has not yet begun. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Iowa Code 651.1
  • Recording: when applied to the official public records of a probate or other court, includes filing. See Iowa Code 614.29
  • Records: includes probate and other official public records, as well as records in the office of the county recorder. See Iowa Code 614.29
  • Register: means to issue a certificate showing the ownership of a certificated security or, in the case of an uncertificated security, to initiate or transfer an account showing ownership of the security. See Iowa Code 633D.2
  • Relative: means an ascendant, descendant, or collateral or an individual otherwise related to another individual by blood, marriage, adoption, or other law of this state. See Iowa Code 651.1
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
  • security: includes , but is not limited to, a certificated security, an uncertificated security, and a security account. See Iowa Code 633D.2
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • State: includes any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession subject to the legislative authority of the United States. See Iowa Code 633D.2
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • support payments: means an amount which the court may require either of the parties to pay under a temporary order or a final judgment or decree, and may include alimony, child support, maintenance, and any other term used to describe these obligations. See Iowa Code 598.1
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Trustor: The person who makes or creates a trust. Also known as the grantor or settlor.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
  • week: means seven consecutive days. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1