Explaining the Law and Providing Self-Help Information for Low-Income Iowans
There are 13 resources
Are Your Legal Affairs in Order?
Putting your legal affairs in order is important for a number of reasons. Some of the more important issues that Iowans, and especially older Iowans, should consider involve powers of attorney, living wills, and estate and Medicaid planning.
By: Legal Hotline for Older Iowans
Read this in:
Bosnian / Bosanski
Do You Need a Will?
Iowa Law on distribution of property after a person's death, including what happens when someone dies without a will.
By: Legal Hotline for Older Iowans
Probate Questions and Answers
Probate is the formal court process of distributing an estate at death. Probate is often necessary to transfer title to the estate's assets, settle claims of creditors, and resolve disputes between heirs or other people. Here are answers to some common questions about probate.
By: Legal Hotline for Older Iowans
Wills and Probate Questions & Answers
When you die in Iowa, your property can be transferred by trust, joint ownership or by naming a beneficiary for property like an IRA, insurance policy or bank account. Property can also be transferred at your death under Iowa's probate laws.
By: Legal Hotline for Older Iowans
Know How to Hold it - Pros and Cons of Certain Types of Property Ownership
The manner in which you own your property can have important consequences. The common forms of ownership are sole ownership, joint tenancy with right of survivorship and tenancy in common. Each form of ownership has its pros and cons.
By: Legal Hotline for Older Iowans
Repayment of Medicaid under Iowa's Estate Recovery Law
Iowa's Estate Recovery Law requires the state to be reimbursed from the estate of a person who has received benefits under certain Medicaid (Title
19) programs.
By: Legal Hotline for Older Iowans
What Is a Living Will?
A living will is a written document authorizing health care providers to withhold or withdraw life sustaining procedures in certain cases. A life-sustaining procedure is any medical procedure, treatment or intervention which utilizes mechanical or artificial means to sustain, restore, or supplant a spontaneous vital function, and which serves only to prolong the dying process.
By: Legal Hotline for Older Iowans
Read this in:
Bosnian / Bosanski
Substitute Decision-Making
Competent individuals have the right to make all sorts of decisions about their lives. Examples are the right to decide about getting health care, and what kind of care to get. What does it mean to be competent and who makes decisions for someone who is not competent?
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Inheritances and SSI
People who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) know they need to report changes in income and resources to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Most people do not think they need to do anything until they actually get the money. If you get SSI and you are going to inherit something, that could create a problem. You could end up having an overpayment or even lose your SSI benefits.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Joint Tenancy
(Separate Website)
Joint tenancy is a way for two or more persons to share equally in the ownership of property. When one of the owners dies, the entire property belongs to the surviving owner(s).
By: Iowa State Bar Association
Elder Law Seminar Videos
Presentations from the 2007 series of programs for older Iowans and their caregivers. (High speed Internet connection needed to view)
By: Iowa Legal Aid
Estate Planning
(Separate Website)
Designed to acquaint the reader with the considerations, problems, and tools
available in estate planning. (59-page pdf)
By: Iowa State University Extension
Life and Death Decisions
Iowans have two simple ways to make their desires known in advance about medical treatment if they become incompentent: Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.
By: Iowa Legal Aid
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The Iowa Legal Aid Website is a project of Iowa Legal Aid, the Volunteer Lawyer Projects of the Iowa State Bar and Polk County Bar Associations and HELP Legal Assistance.
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