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Iowa Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Iowa probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.
© 2026 SimplyTrust Software Inc.
In-depth guides covering Iowa probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.
Free Iowa last will form. 2 witnesses. Name beneficiaries, guardians, and executor. Download PDF, print, and sign.
Step 1 of 9
This information identifies you as the person making this will. It also determines your state's specific execution requirements.
FREE & PRIVATE: This form is free—no account or credit card required. Your form entries and generated document never leave your browser—SimplyTrust does not transmit or store them. You are responsible for saving your completed document.
SELF-HELP SERVICE: SimplyTrust provides a self-help document preparation service. We are not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice, select forms for you, or tell you how to complete forms. Our role is limited to providing a platform where you input your own information into document templates.
NOT LEGAL ADVICE:This document was created entirely based on your selections. SimplyTrust does not review, analyze, or verify your entries, nor do we verify your identity, capacity, or authority to act. You are solely responsible for determining whether this document meets your needs and for completing all required execution formalities (signatures, witnesses, notarization, or recording) in accordance with your state's laws. For any legal questions, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Iowa requires 2 adult witnesses present when the testator signs.Iowa Code § 633.279Verified May 7, 2026 Witnesses must be 18 or older. Iowa allows interested witnesses (beneficiaries), though most families use disinterested witnesses.
A notary is not required for the will to be valid in Iowa.Iowa Code § 633.279Verified May 7, 2026 However, Iowa offers a self-proving affidavit — a notarized statement signed at execution that eliminates the need for witnesses to appear in probate court. Our form includes this affidavit.
No, Iowa does not recognize holographic (handwritten) wills.Iowa Code § 633.279Verified May 7, 2026 Your will must be typed or printed and signed in the presence of the required witnesses. A handwritten document will not be accepted by a Iowa probate court.
A will does not avoid probate — it goes through the Iowa probate court for validation and asset distribution. Simple estates typically take 6-9 months.Iowa Code § 633.279Verified May 7, 2026 Estates valued under $50,000 may qualify for a Small Estate Affidavit, which is faster than full probate. Use the probate cost calculator to estimate what probate would cost in Iowa.
Without a will, Iowa intestacy laws determine who inherits. The surviving spouse and children typically receive priority, but the specific shares depend on family structure. Unmarried partners, stepchildren, and friends receive nothing. See exactly how Iowa divides assets with the Iowa inheritance calculator.
Iowa has authorized remote online notarization, but wills are excluded — the self-proving affidavit must be notarized in person.Iowa Code § 9B.14A Other documents like trusts and powers of attorney may be eligible for RON.
A will distributes assets through probate court — public, slower, and carries the state-specific costs you can see on the probate calculator. A revocable living trust skips probate, keeps the estate private, and lets your family receive assets faster. If avoiding probate matters to you, you can create a revocable trust instead of, or alongside, this will.
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