All Articles and Guides

Every guide published by The Hawkeye Ledger is listed here, grouped by section. Each article explains how a process or a document works in Iowa, names its public sources, and points to the next guide a reader is likely to need. Start with the section that matches your question, or read the list from top to bottom if you are planning a whole estate.

Estate planning

The estate planning section explains how a will, a trust and beneficiary choices fit together. The most read guides are wills versus living trusts in Iowa, estate planning for growing families, estate planning for married couples and reducing your taxable estate.

Probate and administration

The probate section covers how an Iowa estate is administered. Read how Iowa probate works from filing to closing, what an Iowa executor does step by step, and is Iowa probate really as awful as people say.

Elder law and care

The elder law section deals with age, capacity and care. Read power of attorney in Iowa, helping elderly parents get their affairs in order, and guardianship and conservatorship in Iowa explained.

Reference pages

The resources page collects the public sources the editors rely on, including Iowa court information, Iowa Legal Aid and federal consumer guidance. The about page explains who writes the site and how each guide is made. Corrections are welcome through the contact page.

How to use the list

If you are planning, read the estate planning section first, then the probate section to see how your plan would work in practice, then the elder law section if a parent is involved. If you are in the middle of an administration, start with the probate section. If a parent has just lost capacity, start with the elder law section. Each guide links to the others, so you can follow the thread that matters to you.

New guides are added to this list as they are published.