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Showing posts from June, 2014

Post-Marital Agreements in Iowa - Inching Closer?

Iowa remains one of the few (if not last) hold-out state that doesn't permit post-marital agreements .  (Agreements that allow a married couple to plan the division of their assets by their own agreement and separate from some default protective rules.)  However, the  Iowa Supreme Court has finally allowed enforcement of a post-marital agreement .  Sort of. Herbert and Velma were married in Florida.  While they lived in Florida, they signed post-marital agreement which included certain limitations on rights of each spouse at the death of the other.  Florida permitted post-marital agreements.  After 14 years, they moved from Florida to Iowa.  (Quick aside: Really? I love Iowa and all, but moving to Iowa from Florida in the retirement years seems a little backwards.) After moving to Iowa, Herbert passed away and Velma tried to do an "end around" the post-marital agreement and take a spouse's elective share.  I don't feel like going into an extensive analysis of