Child Support Modification - Iowa

IOWA CHILD SUPPORT MODIFICATION

Official Form 301 Preparation Companion

This document is an attorney-review intake and drafting companion. A self-represented applicant must use the current Iowa Judicial Branch forms in Iowa Court Rule 17.300, including Form 301. Do not file this companion as the application.

1. Use and Jurisdiction Gates

• ☐ There is a current Iowa court order or decree setting child support.
• ☐ The requested relief is limited to increasing, decreasing, stopping, or otherwise modifying child support and related Form 301 issues. Custody, physical care, and visitation changes require a different procedure.
• ☐ Counsel has reviewed every current or competing support order, including orders from another state or country.
• ☐ Iowa modification jurisdiction and any interstate-support choice-of-law issue have been confirmed by counsel.
• ☐ Venue has been confirmed under Iowa Code § 598.2 and any rule governing the existing action.
• ☐ The filer will retain the original Petitioner/Respondent designations and identify separately which party is the Applicant.

If the order was not entered in Iowa, if multiple orders exist, or if Child Support Services is involved, obtain Iowa family-law review before filing.

2. Current Order and Party Information

Attach or retrieve the current order and use Form 311 for protected information. Do not place full Social Security numbers, account numbers, full birth dates, or other protected information in this companion or a public filing.

3. Modification Grounds Under Iowa Code § 598.21C

A. Substantial Change in Circumstances

Check every supported factor and identify admissible proof:

• ☐ Employment, earning capacity, income, or resources changed: [FACTS / DATES / RECORDS]
• ☐ A party received an inheritance, pension, or other gift: [FACTS / RECORDS]
• ☐ A party's medical expenses changed: [FACTS / RECORDS]
• ☐ The number or needs of a party's dependents changed: [FACTS / RECORDS]
• ☐ A party's physical, mental, or emotional health changed: [FACTS / RECORDS]
• ☐ A party's residence changed: [FACTS / RECORDS]
• ☐ A party remarried or may be supported by another person: [FACTS / RECORDS]
• ☐ The child's physical, emotional, or educational needs changed: [FACTS / RECORDS]
• ☐ A party is in contempt of an existing order: [ORDER / FACTS]
• ☐ A juvenile-court placement order affects the person currently obligated to pay support: [ORDER / CASE NUMBER]
• ☐ Other relevant factor: [FACTS / AUTHORITY]

B. Additional Child-Support Grounds

• ☐ The current order differs by 10% or more from the amount produced by the most current Iowa Child Support Guidelines. Current order: $[____]. Current guideline calculation: $[____]. Difference: [____]%.
• ☐ A parent has a health benefit plan available as provided in Iowa Code § 252E.1A, and the current order lacks medical-support provisions.

The percentage or medical-support ground is a statutory basis for modification; the court must still determine the current guideline amount, medical support, and any justified variance.

4. Current-Guidelines File

• ☐ Used the current Iowa Court Rules Chapter 9, including the July 2026 compilation.
• ☐ Prepared the required Rule 9.27 Form 1 Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, unless a permitted Form 2 route applies.
• ☐ Collected each party's income and deduction records needed for Rules 9.5-9.7.
• ☐ Prepared the Rule 17.300 Form 324 Financial Affidavit.
• ☐ Calculated the presumptive guideline amount: $[____________] per [____________].
• ☐ If requesting a variance, stated the facts and proposed written findings required by Rule 9.11.
• ☐ Calculated health-insurance reasonable cost, cash medical support, and uncovered medical expenses under Rule 9.12.
• ☐ Confirmed child-care, extraordinary visitation, joint physical care, split care, prior obligations, and other calculation inputs actually applicable to this case.

5. Relief and Effective-Date Review

Form 301 permits the applicant to identify requested changes. Select only relief supported by current law and the evidence:

• ☐ Raise child support from $[____] to $[____].
• ☐ Lower child support from $[____] to $[____].
• ☐ Stop support for the following child or children and state why: [________________________________].
• ☐ Set support for the parent who does not have the children: [________________________________].
• ☐ Change or preserve the dependency-tax provision: [________________________________].
• ☐ Change or preserve responsibility for health-care expenses: [________________________________].
• ☐ Request fees or other relief only after counsel confirms the legal and factual basis: [________________________________].

Timing Controls

• Iowa Code § 598.21C(3) makes a private modification ineffective unless the court approves it after proper notice and opportunity to be heard.
• Under § 598.21C(5), a child-support modification may be retroactive only from three months after service of notice of the pending petition, not automatically from the filing date. Calendar the service date: [__/__/____]. Earliest statutory retroactivity date, subject to counsel's calculation: [__/__/____].
• A retroactive increase must include the periodic payment plan required by § 598.21C(5).
• The existing periodic due date remains unless the court finds good cause, states its rationale, and reconciles payments under the prior and modified orders. Iowa Code § 598.21C(6).
• A temporary modification requires service of original notice and at least five days' notice of hearing and opportunity to be heard. Iowa Code § 598.21C(4).
• Income withholding generally applies on the effective date of a modified order under Iowa Code § 252D.8, subject to its good-cause and approved-written-agreement exceptions. Use the court's order and withholding process; do not send this companion directly to an employer or payor.

6. Official Forms and Filing Checklist

To Start the Case

• ☐ Form 301 — Application to Modify Child Support
• ☐ Form 304 — Original Notice for Personal Service
• ☐ Form 311 — Protected Information Disclosure
• ☐ Form 309 — Application and Affidavit to Defer Payment of Costs, if needed
• ☐ Electronic filing through EDMS, unless the court has excused the filer

Service

• ☐ Personally serve the approved Application, Original Notice, Protected Information Disclosure, and other filed documents as directed by the current guide.
• ☐ Complete service within 90 days after filing Form 301.
• ☐ Serve any nonparent support recipient.
• ☐ If Child Support Services is involved, serve CSS with Form 301 and the Original Notice as the guide directs.
• ☐ File the correct acceptance, return, or affidavit of service.

To Finalize

• ☐ Each party files Form 324 Financial Affidavit.
• ☐ If the parties agree, use Form 328 Settlement Agreement; the agreement is not effective until court approval.
• ☐ If the parties do not agree, use Form 327 Request for Relief and follow the court's hearing process.
• ☐ Use Form 322 for a request requiring an interim court order or to set a hearing when appropriate.
• ☐ Review every EDMS notification, filing return, scheduling order, and district-specific requirement.

7. Evidence and Hearing File

8. Attorney Review Certification

• ☐ Current Iowa Code, Court Rules, Form 301 packet, and Judicial Branch guide rechecked on [__/__/____].
• ☐ Jurisdiction and venue confirmed.
• ☐ All parties and agencies entitled to notice identified.
• ☐ Modification ground tied to facts and evidence.
• ☐ Current guideline and medical-support calculations reviewed.
• ☐ Retroactivity, due date, arrears, withholding, and tax provisions reviewed.
• ☐ Protected information segregated on the correct form.
• ☐ This companion will not be filed in place of an approved court form.

Reviewed by: [ATTORNEY NAME / IOWA AT PIN]

Date: [__/__/____]