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

In a proceeding for custodial responsibility of a child of a service member, a court shall not consider a parent’s past deployment or probable future deployment in general in determining the best interest of the child. 2016 Acts, ch 1084, §7

1. The parents of a child may enter into a temporary agreement under this article granting custodial responsibility during deployment. 2. An agreement under subsection 1 shall comply with all of the following: a. Be in writing. b. Be signed by both parents and any nonparent to wh…

1. An agreement under this article is temporary and terminates pursuant to article IV after the deploying parent returns from deployment, unless the agreement has been terminated before that time by court order or modification under section 598C.203 . The agreement does not creat…

1. By mutual consent, the parents of a child may modify an agreement regarding custodial responsibility made pursuant to this article . 2. If an agreement is modified under subsection 1 before deployment of a deploying parent, the modification must be in writing and signed by bot…

A deploying parent, by power of attorney, may delegate all or part of the deploying parent’s custodial responsibility to an adult nonparent for the period of deployment if no other parent possesses custodial responsibility under a law of this state other than this chapter , or if…

An agreement or power of attorney under this article must be filed within a reasonable time with any court that has entered an order on custodial responsibility or child support that is in effect concerning the child who is the subject of the agreement or power of attorney. The c…

1. After a deploying parent receives notice of deployment and until the deployment terminates, a court may issue a temporary order granting custodial responsibility unless prohibited by the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act , 50 U.S.C. app. §§521 and 522 or the Iowa nationa…

If a motion to grant custodial responsibility is filed under section 598C.301, subsection 2 , before a deploying parent deploys, the court shall conduct an expedited hearing. 2016 Acts, ch 1084, §14

In a proceeding under this article , a party or witness who is not reasonably available to appear personally may appear, provide testimony, and present evidence by electronic means unless the court finds good cause to require a personal appearance. For purposes of this section , …

In a proceeding for a grant of custodial responsibility pursuant to this article , the following rules shall apply: 1. A prior judicial order designating custodial responsibility in the event of deployment is binding on the court unless the circumstances meet the requirements of …

1. On motion of a deploying parent and in accordance with a law of this state other than this chapter , if it is in the best interest of the child, a court may grant caretaking authority to a nonparent who is an adult family member of the child or an adult with whom the child has…

On motion of a deploying parent, and in accordance with a law of this state other than this chapter , unless the court finds that the contact would be contrary to the best interest of the child, a court may grant limited contact to a nonparent who is a family member of the child …

1. A grant of authority under this article is temporary and terminates under article IV after the return from deployment of the deploying parent, unless the grant has been terminated before that time by court order. The grant does not create an independent, continuing right to ca…

1. An order granting custodial responsibility under this article must do all of the following: a. Designate the order as temporary. b. Identify to the extent feasible the destination, duration, and conditions of the deployment. 2. If applicable, an order for custodial responsibil…

If a court has issued an order granting caretaking authority under this article , or an agreement granting caretaking authority has been executed under article II , the court may enter a temporary order for child support consistent with a law of this state other than this chapter…

1. Except for an order under section 598C.304 , and except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 , and consistent with the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act , 50 U.S.C. app. §§521 and 522 and the Iowa national guard civil relief provisions contained in chapter 29A, subchapt…

1. At any time after return from deployment, a temporary agreement granting custodial responsibility under article II may be terminated by an agreement to terminate signed by the deploying parent and the other parent. 2. A temporary agreement under article II granting custodial r…

At any time after a deploying parent returns from deployment, the deploying parent and the other parent may file with the court an agreement to terminate a temporary order for custodial responsibility issued under article III . After an agreement to terminate has been filed, the …

After a deploying parent returns from deployment and until a temporary agreement or order for custodial responsibility established under article II or III is terminated, the court may issue a temporary order granting the deploying parent reasonable contact with the child unless i…

1. If an agreement between the parties to terminate a temporary order for custodial responsibility under article III has not been filed, the order terminates sixty days after the deploying parent gives notice in a record to the other parent and any nonparent granted custodial res…

This chapter shall be applied and construed with consideration given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact the uniform deployed parents custody and visitation Act. 2016 Acts, ch 1084, §27

This chapter modifies, limits, and supersedes the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act , 15 U.S.C. §7001 et seq. , but does not modify, limit, or supersede section 101(c) of that Act, 15 U.S.C. §7001(c) , or authorize electronic delivery of any of the…

This chapter does not affect the validity of a temporary court order concerning custodial responsibility during deployment which was entered before July 1, 2016. 2016 Acts, ch 1084, §29

1. The period of minority extends to the age of eighteen years, but all minors attain their majority by marriage. 2. A person who is less than eighteen years old, but who is tried, convicted, and sentenced as an adult and committed to the custody of the director of the department…

A minor is bound not only by contracts for necessaries, but also by the minor’s other contracts, unless the minor disaffirms them within a reasonable time after attaining majority, and restores to the other party all money or property received by the minor by virtue of the contra…

No contract can be thus disaffirmed in cases where, on account of the minor’s own misrepresentations as to the minor’s majority, or from the minor’s having engaged in business as an adult, the other party had good reason to believe the minor capable of contracting. [C51, §1489; R…

Where a contract for the personal services of a minor has been made with the minor alone, and the services are afterwards performed, payment therefor made to the minor, in accordance with the terms of the contract, is a full satisfaction therefor, and the parent or guardian canno…

The disability of minority of any person otherwise eligible for guaranty or insurance of a loan pursuant to the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944,* as amended and of the minor spouse of any eligible veteran, irrespective of age, in connection with any transaction entered into…

1. A person who is seventeen years of age or older may consent to donate blood in a voluntary and noncompensatory blood program without the permission of a parent or guardian. The consent is not subject to later disaffirmance because of minority. 2. A person who is sixteen years …

1. This chapter * shall be construed liberally. The best interest of the person to be adopted shall be the paramount consideration in interpreting this chapter . However, the interests of the adopting parents shall be given due consideration in this interpretation. However, in de…

The adoption of a minor person shall not be decreed until that person has lived with the adoption petitioner for a minimum residence period of one hundred eighty days. However, the juvenile court or court may waive this period if the adoption petitioner is a stepparent or related…

1. The juvenile court or court shall set the time and place of the adoption hearing prescribed in section 600.12 upon application of the petitioner. The juvenile court or court may continue the adoption hearing if the notice prescribed in subsections 2 and 4 or subsections 3 and …

1. An adoption hearing shall be conducted informally as a hearing in equity. The hearing shall be reported or electronically recorded. 2. Only those persons notified under section 600.11 and their witnesses and legal counsel or persons requested by the juvenile court or court to …

1. If the person to be adopted dies following the filing of an adoption petition pursuant to section 600.3 , but prior to issuance of a final adoption decree pursuant to section 600.13 , the juvenile court or court may waive any investigations and reports required pursuant to sec…

1. At the conclusion of the adoption hearing, the juvenile court or court shall do one of the following: a. Issue a final adoption decree. b. Issue an interlocutory adoption decree. c. Issue a standby adoption decree pursuant to section 600.14A . d. Dismiss the adoption petition …

1. An appeal from any final order or decree rendered under this chapter or chapter 600A shall be taken in the same manner as an appeal is taken from a final judgment under the rules of civil procedure. However, a rule of civil procedure provision regarding a minimum amount of val…

1. As used in this section : a. “Standby adoption” means an adoption in which a terminally ill parent consents to termination of parental rights and the issuance of a final adoption decree effective upon the occurrence of a future event, which is either the death of the terminall…

1. A decree establishing a parent-child relationship by adoption which is issued pursuant to due process of law by a juvenile court or court of any other jurisdiction within or outside the United States shall be recognized in this state. 2. For an adoption based on a decree issue…

1. Any information compiled under section 600.8, subsection 1 , paragraph “c” , relating to medical and developmental histories shall be made available at any time by the clerk of court, the department, or any adoption service provider that made the placement to: a. The adopting …

1. The permanent termination of parental rights record of the juvenile court under chapter 600A and the permanent adoption record of the juvenile court or court shall be sealed by the clerk of the juvenile court or the clerk of court, as appropriate, when they are complete and af…

The supreme court shall prescribe and the department shall adopt rules, to defray the actual cost of the provision of information or the opening of records pursuant to section 600.16 or 600.16A . 92 Acts, ch 1196, §5 ; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §1249

The department shall, within the limits of funds appropriated to the department and any gifts or grants received by the department for this purpose, provide financial assistance to any person who adopts a child with physical or mental disabilities or an older or otherwise hard-to…

1. Any prospective adoptive parent desiring financial assistance shall state this fact in the petition for adoption. The department shall investigate the person petitioning for adoption and the child and shall file with the juvenile court or court a statement of whether the depar…

The amount of financial assistance for maintenance shall not exceed the amount the department would normally spend for foster care of the child. The amount of financial assistance for special services shall not exceed the amount the department would normally spend if it were to p…

1. “Adoption service provider” , “adult” , “agency” , “biological parent” , “certified adoption investigator” , “child” , “court” , “custodian” , “department” , “guardian” , “guardian ad litem” , “juvenile court” , “minor” , “parent” , “parent-child relationship” , “stepparent” ,…

Financial assistance shall be available only if the child to be adopted was under the guardianship of the state, county, or an agency immediately prior to adoption. The one-hundred-eighty-day period of residence in the proposed home required in section 600.10 shall not apply to t…