In this video, our Des Moines civil litigation attorneys explain the basics of the appeals process in Iowa. In Iowa, all cases are initially heard by the district trial courts. During these hearings, both sides will present evidence and written and oral arguments. Depending on the specifics of the case (criminal vs divorce vs child custody) a jury may be present or it will be a bench trial, meaning the judge makes all the decisions a jury would.

At the conclusion of the trial court hearing and after final judgment has been rendered, or after a certain order or motion has been entered by the trial court judge, the parties can seek to appeal to the Iowa appellate court to have the judges order reversed. In Iowa, all appeals go straight to the Iowa Supreme Court which then decides which cases it will hear and which cases it will transfer jurisdiction to the Iowa Court of Appeals. 

In this video, our Des Moines civil litigation attorneys discuss how in a civil litigation trial, there are always two sides trying to build a case to support or refute a particular claim and to convince the judge or jury their argument holds more weight. Within those arguments we have the two elements that make up most arguments in a civil case. 1) questions about the law itself and whether it applies to the case or should be changed and 2) arguments over the facts of the case, basically what actually happened. Attorney’s on both sides will do their best to create an argument that puts their client in the best light according to the laws and the facts. Normally, as the trial concludes and it comes times for a decision and charges to be laid out, it is the jury deliberating on the facts and the judge interpreting the law.

In this video, our Des Moines civil litigation attorneys explain how in Iowa, the discovery phase can’t commence until both parties meet for a “discovery planning meeting.” The law requires that certain information under the initial disclosure be collected for the case immediately after the discovery conference, prior to the beginning of the discovery process. ivil cases normally fall into one of three categories: contract law (contracts and agreements between persons or businesses), family law (divorce, child custody, alimony), and tort law (property damage claims, personal injury, liability). Generally, the process of civil litigation is the same for each category, with some slight differences for family and small claims.