Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 600A - Termination of Parental Rights

• Adoption service provider: means an agency or a licensed attorney. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Adult: means a person who is married or eighteen years of age or older. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• 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.
• Agency: means a child-placing agency as defined in section 238. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Biological parent: means a parent who has been a biological party to the procreation of the child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Child: means a son or daughter of a parent, whether by birth or adoption. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• 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.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Court: means a district court. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Custodian: means a stepparent or a relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity to a minor child who has assumed responsibility for that child, a person who has accepted a release of custody, or a person appointed by a court or juvenile court having jurisdiction over a child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Department: means the state department of human services or its subdivisions. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• 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
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• 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.
• Guardian: means a person who is not the parent of a minor child, but who has been appointed by a court or juvenile court having jurisdiction over the minor child to make important decisions which have permanent effect on the life and development of that child and to promote the general welfare of that child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Guardian ad litem: means a person appointed by a court or juvenile court having jurisdiction over the minor child to represent that child in a legal action. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Indigent: means a person has an income level at or below one hundred percent of the United States poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services, unless the court determines that the person is able to pay for the cost of an attorney in the pending case. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• 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.
• Juvenile court: means the juvenile court established by section 602. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Minor: means an unmarried person who is under the age of eighteen years. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) ^{Source: OCC}
• Parent: means a father or mother of a child, whether by birth or adoption. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Parent-child relationship: means the relationship between a parent and a child recognized by the law as conferring certain rights and privileges and imposing certain duties. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• 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
• property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Putative father: means a man who is alleged to be or who claims to be the biological father of a child born to a woman to whom the man is not married at the time of birth of the child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Records: includes probate and other official public records, as well as records in the office of the county recorder. See Iowa Code 614.29
• 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
• security: includes , but is not limited to, a certificated security, an uncertificated security, and a security account. See Iowa Code 633D.2
• Signature: includes an electronic signature as defined in section 554D. See Iowa Code 4.1
• 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
• Stepparent: means a person who is the spouse of a parent in a parent-child relationship, but who is not a parent in that parent-child relationship. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Termination of parental rights: means a complete severance and extinguishment of a parent-child relationship between one or both living parents and the child. See Iowa Code 600A.2
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• week: means seven consecutive days. See Iowa Code 4.1