GuideIowaPillar Guide12 min read
Iowa Probate Guide
Iowa probate guide for the District Court, the Clerk of the District Court, small estate paths, creditor claims, inventory deadlines, and estate costs.
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Probate Guides & Estate Settlement Articles
Search probate guides, practical articles, and estate settlement resources.1148 in-depth guides • 96 blog posts
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GuideIowaSupport Guide12 min read
Iowa Probate Timeline
Iowa probate timeline and statutory deadlines: 120-day inventory, four-month creditor claim bar under Iowa Code 633.410, and three-year final settlement.
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GuideIowaTools10 min read
Iowa Probate Without a Lawyer
Iowa probate without a lawyer is possible: no statute forces you to hire one, and the $100,000 affidavit under Iowa Code 633.356 can skip court entirely.
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GuideIowaSupport Guide13 min read
Iowa Step-Up in Basis: Inherited Property Tax
Step-up in basis in Iowa: only the decedent's share of jointly owned property steps up, and Iowa has no inheritance tax for deaths on or after January 1, 2025.
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GuideIowaSupport Guide13 min read
Iowa Surviving Spouse Rights
Iowa surviving spouse rights: the one-third elective share (Iowa Code 633.238), exempt property, a 12-month support allowance, and a homestead life estate.
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GuideIowaSupport Guide14 min read
Iowa Will Contests
How to contest a will in Iowa: the grounds, who has standing under section 633.308, the District Court process, and the deadline to file under section 633.309.
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GuideIowaSupport Guide11 min read
Iowa Will Requirements
Iowa will requirements: full-age and sound-mind capacity, a signed writing, two witnesses who sign together, self-proving affidavits, and no holographic wills.
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GuideIowaSupport Guide12 min read
Selling Inherited Property in Iowa
Selling inherited property in Iowa: clear title through probate, an executor's power of sale, step-up basis, and no state inheritance tax.
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National4 min read
Community Property Step-Up in Basis (Double Step-Up)
In a community property state, both halves of a couple’s property get a step-up in basis when one spouse dies. How the double step-up works under IRC 1014(b)(6), with a California example.
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National4 min read
Estate Tax Calculator | Do I Owe Federal Estate Tax?
Estimate whether a federal estate tax issue is likely worth deeper review.
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