Title XV, JUDICIAL BRANCH AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURES (Ch. 595 - 686D)

1. The district court may, on its own motion or on the motion of any party, order the parties to participate in mediation in any dissolution of marriage action or other domestic relations action. Mediation performed under this section shall comply with the provisions of chapter 6…

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 , hearings for dissolution of marriage shall be held in open court upon the oral testimony of witnesses, or upon the depositions of such witnesses taken as in other equitable actions or taken by a commissioner appointed by the court…

If the averments as to residence are not fully proved, the hearing shall proceed no further, and the action be dismissed by the court. [C73, §2222; C97, §3173; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 10473; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, §598.6; C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §598.9 ]

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Uniform Child-custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act” . 99 Acts, ch 103, §1

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Abandoned” means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision. 2. “Child” means an individual who has not attained eighteen years of age. 3. “Child-custody determination” means a judgm…

This chapter does not govern an adoption proceeding or a proceeding pertaining to the authorization of emergency medical care for a child. 99 Acts, ch 103, §3

1. A child-custody proceeding that pertains to an Indian child as defined in the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 U.S.C. §1901 et seq., is not subject to this chapter to the extent that it is governed by the federal Indian Child Welfare Act. 2. A court of this state shall tre…

1. A court of this state shall treat a foreign country as if it were a state of the United States for the purpose of applying this article and article II . 2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3 , a child-custody determination made in a foreign country under factual circ…

A child-custody determination made by a court of this state that had jurisdiction under this chapter binds all persons who have been served in accordance with the laws of this state, or notified in accordance with section 598B.108 , or who have submitted to the jurisdiction of th…

If a question of existence or exercise of jurisdiction under this chapter is raised in a child-custody proceeding, the question, upon request of a party, must be given priority on the calendar and handled expeditiously. 99 Acts, ch 103, §7

1. Notice required for the exercise of jurisdiction when a person is outside this state may be given in a manner prescribed by the law of this state for service of process or by the law of the state in which the service is made. Notice shall be given in a manner reasonably calcul…

1. A party to a child-custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding, or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child-custody determination, is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this state for another proceeding or purpose solely by rea…

1. A court of this state may communicate with a court in another state concerning a proceeding arising under this chapter . 2. The court may allow the parties to participate in the communication. If the parties are not able to participate in the communication, they must be given …

1. In addition to other procedures available to a party, a party to a child-custody proceeding may offer testimony of witnesses who are located in another state, including testimony of the parties and the child, by deposition or other means allowable in this state for testimony t…

1. A court of this state may request the appropriate court of another state to do any or all of the following: a. Hold an evidentiary hearing. b. Order a person to produce or give evidence pursuant to procedures of that state. c. Order that an evaluation be made with respect to t…

1. Except as otherwise provided in section 598B.204 , a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial child-custody determination only if any of the following applies: a. This state is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was…

1. Except as otherwise provided in section 598B.204 , a court of this state which has made a child-custody determination consistent with section 598B.201 or 598B.203 has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over the determination until any of the following occurs: a. A court of thi…

Except as otherwise provided in section 598B.204 , a court of this state shall not modify a child-custody determination made by a court of another state unless a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial determination under section 598B.201, subsection 1 , paragraph…

1. A court of this state has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this state and the child has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child, or a sibling or parent of the child, is subjected to or threatened with …

1. Before a child-custody determination is made under this chapter , notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of section 598B.108 must be given to all persons entitled to notice under the law of this state as in child-custody proceedings between resi…

1. Except as otherwise provided in section 598B.204 , a court of this state shall not exercise its jurisdiction under this article if, at the time of the commencement of the proceeding, a proceeding concerning the custody of the child has been commenced in a court of another stat…

1. A court of this state which has jurisdiction under this chapter to make a child-custody determination may decline to exercise its jurisdiction at any time if it determines that it is an inconvenient forum under the circumstances and that a court of another state is a more appr…

1. Except as otherwise provided in section 598B.204 or by any other law of this state, if a court of this state has jurisdiction under this chapter because a person seeking to invoke its jurisdiction has engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the court shall decline to exercise its ju…

1. In a child-custody proceeding, each party, in its first pleading or in an attached affidavit, shall give information, if reasonably ascertainable, under oath as to the child’s present address or whereabouts, the places where the child has lived during the last five years, and …

1. In a child-custody proceeding in this state, the court may order a party to the proceeding who is in this state to appear before the court in person with or without the child. The court may order any person who is in this state and who has physical custody or control of the ch…

As used in this article , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Petitioner” means a person who seeks enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction or enforcement of a child-custody determination…

Under this article , a court of this state may enforce an order for the return of the child made under the Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction as if it were a child-custody determination. 99 Acts, ch 103, §24

1. A court of this state shall recognize and enforce a child-custody determination of a court of another state if the latter court exercised jurisdiction in substantial conformity with this chapter or the determination was made under factual circumstances meeting the jurisdiction…

1. A court of this state which does not have jurisdiction to modify a child-custody determination may issue a temporary order enforcing any of the following: a. A visitation schedule made by a court of another state. b. The visitation provisions of a child-custody determination o…

1. A child-custody determination issued by a court of another state may be registered in this state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, by sending to the district court in this state all of the following: a. A letter or other document requesting registration.…

1. A court of this state may grant any relief normally available under the law of this state to enforce a registered child-custody determination made by a court of another state. 2. A court of this state shall recognize and enforce, but shall not modify, except in accordance with…

If a proceeding for enforcement under this article is commenced in a court of this state and the court determines that a proceeding to modify the determination is pending in a court of another state having jurisdiction to modify the determination under article II , the enforcing …

1. A petition under this article must be verified. Certified copies of all orders sought to be enforced and of any order confirming registration must be attached to the petition. A copy of a certified copy of an order may be attached instead of the original. 2. A petition for enf…

Except as otherwise provided in section 598B.311 , the petition and order must be served, by any method authorized by the law of this state, upon the respondent and any person who has physical custody of the child. 99 Acts, ch 103, §31

1. Unless the court issues a temporary emergency order pursuant to section 598B.204 , upon a finding that a petitioner is entitled to immediate physical custody of the child, the court shall order that the petitioner may take immediate physical custody of the child unless the res…

1. Upon the filing of a petition seeking enforcement of a child-custody determination, the petitioner may file a verified application for the issuance of a warrant to take physical custody of the child if the child is imminently likely to suffer serious physical harm or be remove…

1. The court shall award the prevailing party, including a state, necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by or on behalf of the party, including costs, communication expenses, attorney fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses, and child care expenses …

A court of this state shall accord full faith and credit to an order issued by another state and consistent with this chapter which enforces a child-custody determination by a court of another state unless the order has been vacated, stayed, or modified by a court having jurisdic…

An appeal may be taken from a final order in a proceeding under this article in accordance with expedited appellate procedures in other civil cases. Unless the court enters a temporary emergency order under section 598B.204 , the enforcing court shall not stay an order enforcing …

1. In a case arising under this chapter or involving the Hague convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction, the prosecutor may take any lawful action, including resort to a proceeding under this article or any other available civil proceeding to locate a chil…

At the request of a prosecutor acting under section 598B.315 , a law enforcement officer may take any lawful action reasonably necessary to locate a child or a party and assist a prosecutor with responsibilities under section 598B.315 . 99 Acts, ch 103, §38 Referred to in §598B.3…

If the respondent is not the prevailing party, the court may assess against the respondent all direct expenses and costs incurred by the prosecutor and law enforcement officers under section 598B.315 or 598B.316 . 99 Acts, ch 103, §39

In applying and construing this uniform Act, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it. 99 Acts, ch 103, §40

A motion or other request for relief made in a child-custody proceeding or to enforce a child-custody determination which was commenced before July 1, 1999, is governed by the law in effect at the time the motion or other request was made. 99 Acts, ch 103, §41

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act” . 2016 Acts, ch 1084, §1

As used in this chapter , unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Adult” means an individual who has attained eighteen years of age or is an emancipated minor. 2. “Caretaking authority” means the right to live with and care for a child on a day-to-day basis. “Caretaking author…