Juvenile delinquency is the behavior of minors (usually individuals below the age of 18) violating the law. These unlawful acts, committed by juveniles, can range from petty crimes such as vandalism and shoplifting to more serious offenses like drug-related crimes and...
Des Moines Iowa Law Blog
2 ways people accidentally violate drugs laws
Many people find themselves under arrest, but they never had any intention of violating drug laws. They simply made a mistake, and they didn’t know that what they were doing was illegal. How does something like this happen? There are numerous different ways that it...
Who is responsible for credit card debt during a divorce?
When the marriage is over and divorce is on the horizon, one of the most contentious subjects the couple will have to deal with is the division of the marital property. At a very basic level, marital property refers to the assets and debts the couple accumulated while...
4 types of evidence that contribute to an Iowa OWI case
For the Iowa criminal courts to convict someone of an operating while intoxicated (OWI) offense, there needs to be compelling evidence that can convince a judge or jury beyond a reasonable doubt that someone has broken the law. Police officers will often start trying...
What is virtual visitation?
If you and your child’s other parent are no longer together, you are likely either in the process of creating a parenting plan or your co-parenting arrangements are already subject to the terms of an existing parenting plan document. If your plan does not yet contain...
Why child support and parenting rights aren’t interdependent
If you’re paying child support and yet your ex always brings them to your home late on your parenting days (or finds reasons why they can’t come), you may start to feel like you should withhold child support until they comply with the custody order. Likewise, if your...
Could your spouse be hiding marital assets?
When all reconciliation efforts fail and a marriage is bound for divorce, spouses have a number of issues that they are compelled to address. One of these is property division. In Iowa, this is accomplished per the state’s equitable distribution law in instances...
3 statements not to say when stopped by the police
Operating while intoxicated (OWI) can lead to severe penalties. In Iowa, it's unlawful to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more. When the police have reasonable suspicion of drunk driving, they will stop you to perform required tests and ask...
Is someone legally responsible for anything found in their car?
Iowa lawmakers have created a relatively thorough list of prohibited substances. Numerous prescription medications are subject to state control, and those who unlawfully possess those drugs could face serious charges. Prescription medications and outright banned...
A positive outlook may help you cope with your divorce
Everyone says that divorce is hard and painful. Unfortunately, the one thing most can agree on is viewed as a tragic, heartbreaking event. Divorce deserves its reputation because it is hard and does cause pain. Enduring so much can impact your outlook and make it easy...