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Getting Divorced

Iowa Code § 598.19 — no decree until 90 days after the original notice is served

A decree dissolving a marriage is entered when the court is satisfied that the marriage relationship has broken down to the extent that the legitimate objects of matrimony are destroyed and there is no reasonable likelihood it can be preserved. The decree is granted to both parties, not to one.

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Ninety days. No decree is granted until 90 days have passed from service of the original notice, the last publication, or the filing of a waiver or acceptance, or until court ordered conciliation ends, whichever is longer. On a written motion showing an emergency or necessity, the court may grant it sooner.

Sources for this section (2)
  1. Iowa Code § 598.17 — Dissolution of marriage — evidence
  2. Iowa Code § 598.19 — Waiting period before decree

Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Iowa attorney.

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