In this video, our Des Moines family mediation attorneys explain how mediation allows opposing parties to meet and negotiate in a neutral setting. A trained mediator often sits in to ensure discussions are fair and productive. Mediation is private, confidential, and incredibly effective.  Mediation can be used to resolve issues surrounding a divorce such as child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, and division of assets and liabilities.  

When given the opportunity to negotiate, parties often come to an agreement on conditions and terms, especially in relation to child custody. Even if a final agreement can’t be reached, mediation helps participants express their wishes in a safe space while being encouraged to actively listen to the opposing party, neither of which are likely outside mediation.

In this video, our Des Moines family mediation attorneys explain how Iowa Law requires that the court consider the best interests of the child and order a custody arrangement that will allow the child to maintain consistent physical and emotional contact with both parents whenever possible in order to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of raising the child, so long as doing so will not cause physical or significant emotional harm to the children, other children, or either parent.

In this video, our Des Moines family mediation attorneys highlight the numerous changes to family law in Iowa as of 2021. Former President Trump’s 2019 tax reforms changed certain aspects of Iowa’s spousal support laws. Under these tax reforms, spousal support payments are no longer tax-deductible for the payor spouse, and not included in gross income calculations. In Iowa, spousal support continues to be governed by Iowa Code Section 598.21A, which states the court may grant an order requiring support payments for a limited or indefinite length of time after considering several factors. One of the factors the court must consider under 598.21A is the tax consequences to each party. In one Iowa Supreme Court decision, the Court discussed the tax consequences of the new law, and ultimately used the changed tax considerations as one of the reasons to lower the payor’s amount of support payments. Courts will likely continue this trend of awarding lower spousal support payments under the new law. There have not been any significant recent changes to Iowa Child Support Law. The most recent changes occurred in 2018 with changes to how health care costs are calculated. Iowa continues to calculate child support and medical support payments is through child support guidelines, which are created by the Iowa Supreme Court.