Is Iowa a joint custody state?

Iowa prefers to award joint legal custody to the parents if it is in the best interests of the child. (Iowa Code � 598.41 (1)(a)) Joint legal custody means that each parent has an equal right to make decisions about the child’s education, medical care, religious upbringing, extracurricular activities, and the like.

Do you have to pay child support if you have 50/50 custody in Iowa?

Iowa joint physical custody: Each parent has significant periods of physical custody, which allows them frequent and continuing contact with their children. Parenting time is split approximately 50/50, and there is no parenting time credit that affects child support.

How do I modify my child custody in Iowa?

Process of modification Either parent may ask the court for a custody modification. For a small change, such as a revised visitation schedule, the parent must show the court how the change in circumstances affects the current custody order.

What does primary custody mean in Iowa?

Primary physical custody: If a child lives with just one parent, this is referred to as primary physical care. In this type of custody, the child lives mainly with one parent, even if the parents have joint legal custody. The noncustodial parent is granted visitation with the children.

How does joint custody work in a divorce in Iowa?

Iowa law expresses a preference for parents to share as equally as practically possible in the custody of a child in a divorce case. Joint custody means each parent has the same rights, not necessarily the same physical time with the child.

What makes a parent unfit for child custody in Iowa?

In addition to finding a parent unfit because of substance abuse or abuse or neglect towards a child, the courts also consider the conduct of both parents during the course of the marriage, and the impact of parental behavior on the child. Courts presume against granting custody to a parent who has a history of domestic abuse under Iowa law.

What does physical custody mean in Iowa law?

See Iowa Code section 598.41(1)(b). What about the physical placement of my children? After the court makes a decision about legal custody, the court will decide on the physical care arrangement. “Physical placement” refers to the parental home where the child will live on a regular basis.

How old do you have to be to get child custody in Iowa?

Iowa Law Overview. In Iowa, if a couple (married or unmarried) has children in the family under the age of eighteen, the courts will play a role in making decisions related to child custody. “Custody” or “legal custody” means the rights and responsibilities parents have towards their child.