How to File for Divorce in Iowa

If the other spouse lives in Iowa and is personally served with the divorce papers, there is no residency requirement. Otherwise, the filing spouse must have lived in Iowa for the last year, in good faith and not just to get a divorce.

The filing fee for a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is $285; serving the petition on the other spouse may cost extra. If you cannot afford the fee, you can file an Application to Defer Costs, and a judge will decide whether to postpone the fees.

Iowa has no separate simplified divorce. Even if the spouses agree on all terms, a judge must review and approve them and sign the decree. Self-represented spouses must use the free Iowa Court Rules chapter 17 forms (separate sets for divorce with and without minor children), and Iowa Interactive Court Forms are available for divorce with no children. If the respondent does not answer (generally within 20 days of service), the court may enter a default.

No divorce decree can be granted until 90 days after the other spouse is served (or after the last day of publication, or after a waiver or acceptance of service is filed), or until any court-ordered conciliation is finished, whichever is later. A judge may shorten this period for an emergency or necessity shown by affidavit.

Iowa's official divorce (dissolution of marriage) forms are in chapter 17 of the Iowa Court Rules and are free on the Iowa Judicial Branch's Court Forms page, in two sets: divorce with no minor or dependent adult children and divorce with them, each with its own Guide that the court says is very important to read. Law Help Interactive offers free guided interviews (also in Spanish) for the petition or response, financial affidavit, and settlement agreement or request for relief. The Petition for Dissolution of Marriage must be filed electronically through Iowa eFile (registration required) unless the court gives permission to file on paper; the filing fee is $285.