Divorce in Iowa, start to finish
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Iowa gives you the forms for free. What it doesn’t give you is the order, the 90-day math, the trap that catches people who think the clock starts on the day they file, or anyone to tell you which forms are actually yours. That’s this.
Put in the day you filed and this page works out every deadline in your case, then hands you a calendar file that reminds you a week before each one and again the day before. It opens in the calendar you already use. Free, no account, nothing stored.
1 · The two tracks, and what the rule requires
Iowa calls this a dissolution of marriage, not a divorce, on every form you will touch. There are two numbered form sets — the 100-series without children and the 200-series with children — and inside each one, whether the spouses have reached an agreement changes almost everything downstream.
Residency first. Iowa Code § 598.5(1)(k) requires the petitioner to have lived in Iowa for the last year before filing — unless the respondent spouse currently lives in Iowa and is personally served there, in which case the one-year requirement does not apply at all.
The settlement track
Iowa R. Civ. P. 17.100 / 17.200 self-represented forms; Iowa Code ch. 598
A Settlement Agreement is filed — plus an Agreed Parenting Plan, signed by both spouses, where there are children — instead of a Request for Relief. This is Iowa’s most efficient route: if the judge has no questions once the 90-day waiting period has passed, the Decree can be signed without a hearing at all.
Available only where all of these are true:
- The residency requirement in Iowa Code § 598.5(1)(k) is satisfied, or the respondent lives in Iowa and is personally served there.
- The spouses have already agreed on how to divide property and debts.
- Where there are children, the spouses have also agreed on custody, visitation and support.
- The 90-day waiting period has passed before the Decree is submitted.
Spousal support has to be addressed explicitly in the Settlement Agreement. It cannot be asked for after the Decree is filed.
The contested track
Iowa R. Civ. P. 17.100 / 17.200 self-represented forms
A Request for Relief is filed instead of a Settlement Agreement — plus a Proposed Parenting Plan where there are children — and the court sets a trial date. Iowa divorce trials are decided by a judge, not a jury. A case on this track can still resolve without ever reaching trial if the spouses settle before the date arrives.
This is the track wherever any of these is true:
- Property and debts are not yet divided by agreement.
- Where there are children, custody, visitation or support is not yet agreed.
Where the respondent is formally served rather than signing an Acceptance of Service, the clock on their 20-day Answer starts only once service is actually completed, and a sheriff or process server has to be paid for.
Both tracks run on the same two form sets. The 100-series applies where there are no minor children of the marriage and no dependent adult child from the marriage who still needs support because of a physical or mental condition; the 200-series applies where there are.
2 · Every form Iowa publishes for a dissolution of marriage
The complete list, not a shortlist — because which forms are needed depends on facts only you and, if you need one, your lawyer can weigh. Each row says which form set and which track it belongs to, with the rule numbers clerks look for and the revision date. Every one is free.
The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case. Everything here is general information about how Iowa handles divorce, and every form below is published free by Iowa itself — you do not have to buy anything from anyone to get them. If your situation is not straightforward, a consultation with a Iowa family lawyer costs far less than fixing a filing that went wrong.
| Form | What it is | Route | Rev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Petition for Dissolution of Marriage — with no minor or dependent adult children | Without children — both tracks | 01/23 | Download |
| 105 | Acceptance of Service — the other spouse signs this instead of being formally served | Without children — where the spouse accepts service | 01/23 | Download |
| 104 | Original Notice for Personal Service | Without children — where the spouse is formally served | 01/23 | Download |
| 106 | Directions for Service of Original Notice — goes to whoever serves the other spouse | Without children — where the spouse is formally served | 01/23 | Download |
| 110 | Affidavit of Service of Original Notice and Petition — filed once service is complete | Without children — where the spouse is formally served | 01/23 | Download |
| 111 | Protected Information Disclosure | Without children — both tracks | 01/23 | Download |
| 124 | Financial Affidavit — one from each spouse | Without children — both tracks | 01/23 | Download |
| 128 | Settlement Agreement | Without children — settlement track | 01/23 | Download |
| 127 | Request for Relief — states what the court is being asked to order | Without children — contested track | 01/23 | Download |
| 122 | Motion — used to ask the court to set a hearing or trial date | Without children — contested track | 01/23 | Download |
| 126 | Notice of Intent to File Written Application for Default Decree — only if the other spouse never answers | Without children — contested track | 01/23 | Download |
| 125 | Affidavit of Mailing Notice — if that notice is mailed | Without children — contested track | 01/23 | Download |
| 109 | Application and Affidavit to Defer Payment of Costs — only where the filing fee is unaffordable | Without children — both tracks | 01/23 | Download |
| 201 | Petition for Dissolution of Marriage — with children | With children — both tracks | 06/24 | Download |
| 205 | Acceptance of Service — the other spouse signs this instead of being formally served | With children — where the spouse accepts service | 06/24 | Download |
| 204 | Original Notice for Personal Service | With children — where the spouse is formally served | 06/24 | Download |
| 206 | Directions for Service of Original Notice — goes to whoever serves the other spouse | With children — where the spouse is formally served | 06/24 | Download |
| 210 | Affidavit of Service of Original Notice and Petition — filed once service is complete | With children — where the spouse is formally served | 06/24 | Download |
| 211 | Protected Information Disclosure | With children — both tracks | 06/24 | Download |
| 224 | Financial Affidavit — one from each spouse | With children — both tracks | 06/24 | Download |
| 228 | Settlement Agreement | With children — settlement track | 06/24 | Download |
| 229 | Agreed Parenting Plan — signed by both spouses | With children — settlement track | 06/24 | Download |
| 227 | Request for Relief | With children — contested track | 06/24 | Download |
| 230 | Proposed Parenting Plan — the custody and visitation schedule being asked for | With children — contested track | 06/24 | Download |
| 222 | Motion — used to ask the court to set a hearing or trial date | With children — contested track | 06/24 | Download |
| 226 | Notice of Intent to File Written Application for Default Decree — only if the other spouse never answers | With children — contested track | 06/24 | Download |
| 225 | Affidavit of Mailing Notice — if that notice is mailed | With children — contested track | 06/24 | Download |
| 209 | Application and Affidavit to Defer Payment of Costs — only where the filing fee is unaffordable | With children — both tracks | 06/24 | Download |
Every one of these is free. Download fresh each time — the rule numbers stay the same but the revision date can change. Full libraries: no children · with children.
3 · Getting the forms and filling them in
Nobody explains this part, so here it is. Every Iowa form is free, self-represented filing is normal and expected here, and — unlike some states — Iowa’s own forms don’t require a notary.
You are expected to e-file Required of you
- Portal
- EDMS (Electronic Document Management System) / Iowa eFile
- Paper
- Still accepted — you can file over the counter.
- What it costs
- 'There are no additional fees for electronic filing in the Iowa court system' (Iowa Judicial Branch EDMS FAQ). Statutory filing fees still apply.
- Account
- Yes — registration is required of self-represented persons, not optional. Accounts are requested online through the EDMS login page.
- Worth knowing
- Iowa is one of the strictest states for pro se filers: the rule text puts 'all self-represented persons' in the same sentence as attorneys. The listed automatic exemptions (criminal defendants, confined persons, juvenile-case parents) do NOT cover a self-represented divorce petitioner. A pro se Iowa divorce filer who cannot e-file must affirmatively petition the clerk in writing for a good-cause exception under Rule 16.302(2)(c) — it is not self-certifying the way Alaska's or Illinois's is. That distinction is worth spelling out for readers.
Step one — download them free
Iowa’s statewide self-represented forms live under Iowa Court Rules Chapter 17, organized into two document libraries:
Divorce with no Children — document library
Divorce with Children — document library
Don’t reuse a saved copy — the no-children set (Rule 17.100) was last revised January 2023 and the with-children set (Rule 17.200) was last revised June 2024. Each revision date is printed in the footer of every page. Read the free Guide to Representing Yourself — no children or Guide to Representing Yourself — with children before you start; both are published by the Iowa Judicial Branch.
Step two — fill them in, and sign under penalty of perjury (no notary)
Iowa’s family forms are fillable PDFs. Type everything rather than handwriting it. Where Florida or Connecticut would send you to a notary, Iowa doesn’t: every self-represented divorce form ends with a line reading “I certify under penalty of perjury and pursuant to the laws of the State of Iowa” — you sign it yourself, either with a digitized signature through the eFile system or by printing and hand-signing. No notary block, no witness.
Iowa has a free guided-interview tool that builds these forms for you question by question, including the divorce petition, financial affidavit, and settlement agreement. It’s genuinely good — but it’s restricted to low-income, unrepresented filers, nonprofit staff, and attorneys doing pro bono work, not open to everyone. Check iowacourts.gov’s Iowa Interactive Court Forms page to see if you qualify before assuming it covers you.
Step three — file them, mostly electronically
Iowa’s court system runs on one statewide electronic system, EDMS, and self-represented divorce filers are generally required to use it — the automatic paper exceptions are for self-represented criminal defendants, confined people, and self-represented parents in juvenile cases. If none of those apply to you, you register for an eFile account and file online; if you have a genuine hardship, you can file a written request asking the clerk to excuse you for good cause. There’s no extra fee for filing electronically.
iowacourts.gov/efile — registration, the eFile system, and the user guide all live here. Take your Petition, Original Notice, and Protected Information Disclosure to the clerk of court in your county if you’re filing on paper instead.
Filing the Petition doesn’t finish anything by itself. You have 90 days after filing to get your spouse actually served — by sheriff, process server, a signed Acceptance of Service, or publication if you can’t locate them. Miss it, and the court can dismiss your case outright, which means refiling and paying the $285 fee again.
Step four — serving your spouse
If your spouse will cooperate, the simplest route is having them sign Form 105 (or 205 with children), Acceptance of Service — no sheriff, no process server, no fee. Otherwise, the county sheriff serves the Original Notice and Petition for a statutory $30 per person plus mileage (Iowa Code § 331.655) — the mileage rate is set by the county, so ask the sheriff’s office what it will run in your county — or you can hire a private process server instead. If you can’t locate your spouse at all, Form 107/207 (Motion and Affidavit to Serve by Publication) lets you serve by newspaper notice; ask the clerk about the newspaper’s publication fee, which is separate from the court’s filing fee.
4 · Your deadlines, calculated
Almost everything in an Iowa dissolution counts from one of two dates — when you filed, and when your spouse was served (or signed the Acceptance of Service, or was reached by publication). Put in what you have and we’ll turn Iowa Code § 598.19 and the Iowa Court Rules into actual dates on your calendar — then add them to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook in one click.
5 · The order it actually happens in
6 · The rejection-proofing checklist
This is the part that’s genuinely worth paying attention to. These are the specific things that stall or dismiss Iowa filings — every one of them costs weeks.
Two different 90-day clocks
Iowa runs two completely separate 90-day rules and people conflate them constantly. One is a deadline: you must complete service on your spouse within 90 days of filing, or the court can dismiss your case. The other is a floor: the judge cannot sign your Decree until 90 days after your spouse was served — which starts later and runs longer than most people assume, because it doesn’t start on the day you filed at all. Assume the 90-day wait starts at filing, and you’ll show up to ask about your Decree weeks before the court can legally sign it.
Signing and filing
Forms people forget
Timing
Iowa is explicit about this in its own guide: if you want spousal support, a share of your spouse’s pension, or other property, you must ask for it before the judge files your Decree. You cannot come back and ask afterward. If alimony is even a possibility, say so in your Petition and again in your Settlement Agreement or Request for Relief.
7 · The Financial Affidavit — what Form 124/224 asks for
Each spouse completes their own — not one joint form. It’s filed with the court, and Iowa’s version breaks assets into named categories rather than one generic list.
Section 4.B, your monthly expenses, only has to be completed if you or your spouse is asking for spousal support. If nobody’s requesting alimony, you can skip it — but if you’re not sure yet whether alimony will come up, fill it in anyway rather than having to redo the form later.
8 · What this costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee — Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, flat statewide rate | $285 |
| Sheriff service of process, per person (Iowa Code § 331.655) | $30 + mileage |
| Newspaper publication, if you can’t locate your spouse | varies — ask the clerk |
| Parenting/mediation program, if your judicial district requires one | varies — ask the clerk |
| Certified copy of your Decree | $50 |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | $310–$400 |
File Form 109 (or 209 with children), Application and Affidavit to Defer Payment of Costs, alongside your Petition. It’s a request to postpone payment based on financial hardship, not an automatic waiver — a judge decides, and you may need to show proof of income, assets and expenses. Costs paid to someone other than the court or sheriff, like a newspaper publication fee, generally can’t be deferred this way.
What Iowa filers report paying an attorney
The court fees above are real and verified. The figures below are member-reported, illustrative demo data — a placeholder for the kind of cost tracking The Cusp’s members contribute, not a verified market survey — meant to show the shape of attorney costs by county, not a quote.
| County | Uncontested, attorney-assisted | Contested, attorney-led |
|---|---|---|
| Polk | $1,400–$2,600 | $5,500–$12,000+ |
| Linn | $1,200–$2,300 | $5,000–$10,500+ |
| Scott | $1,300–$2,400 | $5,200–$11,000+ |
Demo figures only — illustrative of how member-reported attorney costs could be tracked by county, not audited or independently verified. Ask any attorney for a written fee agreement before you hire them.
What this is. A guide to Iowa’s own process, built from Iowa Code chapter 598 — including §§ 598.5, 598.6 (repealed in 2005; residency now lives at § 598.5(1)(k)), and 598.19 — Iowa Code § 602.8105 and § 331.655, Iowa Court Rules Chapter 17, and the official Rule 17.100 and 17.200 self-represented forms and guides published by the Iowa Judicial Branch at iowacourts.gov. The forms themselves are free and this kit links you to them rather than reselling them.
What this is not. The Cusp is not a law firm and does not practice law. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here tells you which choice is right for your particular situation — only what Iowa requires of each path. If your case involves contested custody, a business, hidden assets, domestic violence, or a spouse with a lawyer, talk to an attorney; many offer free consultations, and one hour of advice is cheaper than a case that gets dismissed for missing the 90-day service deadline. Clerks of court and court staff cannot give legal advice, by rule.
Confirm current numbers with the clerk. Filing fees, county-set mileage rates, and judicial-district program requirements are periodically adjusted. Where this kit could not verify an exact figure, provider, or deadline interpretation with confidence, it says so and points you to the clerk of district court rather than guessing.
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Everything we have written about Iowa specifically. Every figure on these pages is quoted from Iowa’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
The most expensive mistakes in a divorce are made in the year after it, by people who thought the case was over. After the divorce is the checklist for that year — the health-coverage clock, the retirement order a decree cannot replace, and the beneficiary form that outranks your will.
Filing is one household becoming two, and the second one starts empty. The two-household list is what to send the people who keep asking how they can help — the second of everything, and the half of it that costs nothing. Some people call it a divorce registry.