by Daniel Willems | May 30, 2021 | Adoption, Family Law
Updated. Originally published Apr 12, 2019. Iowa has four types of adoption: International, private domestic, foster care and step parent adoption. The type of adoption you choose depends on how you want to adopt and the age of the child. While children of all ages...
by Daniel Willems | Mar 31, 2021 | Estate Planning, Wills
Have you ever wondered “Why should I have a Will?” To understand the importance of a Will you must understand what happens to your property if you die without a Will. This is a summary and there are exceptions to the discussion which follows. For the...
by Daniel Willems | Feb 27, 2021 | Estate Planning, Family Law, Power of Attorney, Wills
Updated – Originally published November 18, 2018 If you’re single, estate planning may be the last thing on your mind. Estate planning when you’re single is just as important as when you’re married – if not more! Dying Without a Will If a...
by Daniel Willems | Feb 20, 2021 | Probate, Wills
Originally Published 10/30/2017 | Updated 02/20/2021 What would happen to your child if you died or became too disabled to provide care? It’s understandable that no parent likes to think about these questions, but in addition to creating a will, you must give...
by Daniel Willems | Sep 30, 2020 | Child Custody, Divorce, Family Law
updated 09/30/2020 As any parent knows, raising a child costs a lot of money. Sometimes raising a child alone can seem overwhelming, or even impossible. If you are a parent going through a divorce or a single parent who was never married, you can get assistance from...
by Daniel Willems | Nov 20, 2019 | Child Custody, Divorce
Iowa Statutes require you to take a mediation class and a parenting class. Counties may have different rules for the classes. District 6 counties include Linn, Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and Tama and require both spouses to take the course within 45 days of filing...
by Daniel Willems | Oct 2, 2019 | Annulment, Divorce
If you cannot live as husband and wife, you have two choices: divorce or annulment. However, you can only get a marriage annulled under certain circumstances. A divorce ends a valid marriage while an annulment ends a marriage that was never valid according to state...
by Daniel Willems | Aug 12, 2019 | Estate Planning, Family Law, Wills
Now that you have a new bundle of joy, you need to look at some legal options to protect your newborn child. While you may not need some of these things until later, it’s a good idea to get everything done as soon as possible as you never know what could happen...
by Daniel Willems | Jul 16, 2019 | Estate Planning, Family Law
Most people do not think of estate planning until they are in their 40’s or 50’s — and some even wait until they are even older. However, it is in your best interest to create an estate plan when you turn 18 or become emancipated (whichever comes first)...
by Daniel Willems | Jun 28, 2019 | Divorce, Family Law
When you decide to divorce, you’ll need to file a petition with the court. As part of that petition, you have to allege that: 1) there has been a breakdown of the marriage relationship to the extent that the legitimate objects of matrimony have been destroyed and; 2)...
