Hiring a Real Estate Lawyer in Iowa
What a home seller in Iowa must disclose, how foreclosure works, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Iowa: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Contingent fees are allowed except where Rule 1.5(d) or other law prohibits them. A contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and state how the fee is figured, including the percentage(s) the lawyer gets on settlement, trial or appeal, the litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery, and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated. It must clearly tell the client about any expenses the client must pay whether or not the client wins. At the end, the lawyer must give the client a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the client's share and how it was figured. Lawyers may not charge domestic relations fees contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, or a contingent fee to represent a criminal defendant. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board does not resolve fee disputes. The Iowa Judicial Branch says fee disputes go to the Iowa State Bar Association for arbitration, and that fee arbitration may be available through your local bar association. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | Iowa's Client Security Trust Fund, administered by the Client Security Commission, covers losses from dishonest conduct by an Iowa-licensed lawyer acting as attorney or fiduciary in the practice of law, when no other source can cover the loss; negligence and employer-employee disputes are not covered. The maximum any one client may recover is set by Iowa Supreme Court rules, and the Commission also weighs available funds and hardship. Claims are generally due within one year after you discover the loss (extendable for good cause). There is no fee and no lawyer is needed. Client Security Commission, Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50319; (515) 348-4670. |
Iowa rules to know first
| What a home seller must disclose | Yes. A person transferring real property (or the agent) must deliver a written disclosure statement to the prospective buyer before the seller makes or accepts a written offer. Required contents are set out in Iowa Code chapter 558A; some transfers are exempt. Source: Iowa Code §§ 558A.2, 558A.4 |
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| How foreclosure works | Mainly judicial. A mortgage or deed of trust may be foreclosed only by a court action in equity, except for an alternative nonjudicial voluntary procedure. Iowa also has a nonjudicial foreclosure procedure that a lender may start by serving a notice, but the borrower can stop it by filing and serving a written rejection within 30 days. The Code does not say which method is more common. |
| Foreclosure timeline | The lender must wait 30 days after giving a proper notice of right to cure before accelerating or enforcing the loan. In a court foreclosure where the lender elects foreclosure without redemption on non-farm property, the sale happens promptly after judgment unless the owner files a written demand to delay; for an owner-occupied one- or two-family home, a demand delays the sale until six months after judgment (three months if the lender waived a deficiency judgment). When the lender does not elect foreclosure without redemption, the redemption periods in Iowa Code chapter 628 apply after the sale. Source: Iowa Code §§ 654.2D, 654.20 |
| HOA foreclosure | Yes, for condominiums. Unpaid common expenses on a condominium apartment are a lien that is prior to other liens except tax liens and amounts unpaid on a recorded first mortgage, and the council of co-owners may foreclose it by suit like a mortgage. In a foreclosure, the owner must pay reasonable rent for the unit. Source: Iowa Code § 499B.17 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Iowa State Bar Association's Iowa Find-A-Lawyer is a free, voluntary web-based referral program that matches the public with Iowa attorneys; the ISBA refers all phone calls from people looking for a lawyer to this website. "Attorneys listed in this directory charge $25 or less for up to 30 minutes of initial consultation"; when you contact a lawyer, say you found them through the program and ask what they charge. ISBA phone (general): (515) 243-3179. Ways to get legal help: https://www.iowabar.org/?pg=Waystogetlegalhelp |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Iowa Supreme Court's commissions maintain an online "Search Iowa Attorneys" database of lawyers licensed by the Supreme Court of Iowa. Search by name, business county, city or state, good-standing status and license status (such as active, inactive, suspended, revoked, emeritus or deceased). It covers lawyers in good standing, inactive, suspended, revoked, deceased and in-house registrants; home addresses and phone numbers are not released. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Ethics complaints about Iowa lawyers go to the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board, which receives and investigates them. Use the court-approved complaint form (online, or downloadable PDF to mail), one per attorney, with copies (not originals) of supporting documents and the case name and number if any. There is no charge; the system is funded by assessments on Iowa lawyers. The Board cannot resolve fee disputes, which are generally contract matters for district court, though charging a clearly excessive fee is an ethics issue. Lawyers with prior public discipline are listed on the Iowa court commissions site. Phone: 515-348-4680. Complaint instructions: https://www.iowacourts.gov/opr/attorneys/attorney-discipline/complaint-against-a-lawyer/ |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Iowa Legal Aid, the state's LSC-funded legal aid organization, provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income Iowans; toll-free (800) 532-1275, iowalegalaid.org. Other free options listed by the federal court for Iowa include the University of Iowa Clinical Law Program ((319) 335-9030, toll-free (866) 251-5491) and the Drake University Legal Clinic ((515) 271-3851). Iowa Free Legal Answers (iowa.freelegalanswers.org) lets qualifying users post civil legal questions at no cost. Phone numbers from https://www.iand.uscourts.gov/content/how-can-i-find-attorney |
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All legal help in Iowa · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.