Orders - 2025 Archive

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order requesting public comment on proposed standards for representing children in child in need of assistance and termination of parental rights proceedings. The standards were drafted by the Iowa Children's Justice Child Representation Workgroup. Accompanying the order are the proposed standards and a report from Iowa Children's Justice.

The public comment period is for 90 days. Comments must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on March 8, 2026.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order requesting public comment on proposed revisions to chapter 6 of the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure relating to expedited juvenile appeals. The proposed revisions were developed by the Iowa Judicial Branch Task Force on Expedited Appeals in Termination of Parental Rights and Children in Need of Assistance Cases Task Force. Accompanying the order is a redline of the proposed revisions and a task force report.

The public comment period is for 90 days. Comments must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on March 8, 2026.

Today, Chief Justice Christensen made several appointments to the Judicial Technology Committee. 

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing Judge Gregg Rosenbladt Chief Judge of the Second Judicial District.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing Mandy Schilb, Clerk of Court for Jefferson, Washington, and Keokuk, to the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure Review Task Force.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting new Iowa Court Rule 20.6 regarding judicial branch records management. The rule comes from recommendations from the Records Management Committee and is adopted by the supreme court after unanimous approval from the Judicial Council.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order approving amendments to chapters 31, 34, 35, 36, 39, and 45 in Division III, Professional Regulation, of the Iowa Court Rules. The amendments are effective immediately.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting new and revised appellate court forms. The new and revised forms are designed to more effectively implement amendments to the appellate rules and to ensure that the appellate forms are up to date, easier to use, and function more efficiently. Additionally, a new appellate form, Form 12: Request to Transmit the Record, has been adopted. The new and revised appellate forms take effect November 5, 2025. Fillable and savable PDF versions of the forms are available for download and use on the court’s forms website at https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/court-forms.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed a supervisory order concerning weapons in court-controlled spaces. 

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting amendments to the Iowa Child Support Guidelines and chapter 9 of the Iowa Court Rules. The amendments include, among others, revisions to rule 9.11A changing the child care expense variance to a child care expense add-on. The supreme court adopted the chapter 9 amendments after consideration of the 2025 report and recommendations of the Iowa Child Support Guidelines Review Committee. The Committee’s full report is available on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at Reports | Iowa Judicial Branch.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing new members to the Iowa Access to Justice Commission as well as current members to second terms on the Commission.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order requesting public comment on a proposed amendment to Iowa Rule of Electronic Procedure 16.412(2)(b)(2) that would require defendants in criminal proceedings who engage in reciprocal discovery to pre-file their proposed exhibits before hearings and trials—bringing them in line with prosecutors and parties in other case types.

Comments must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, November 17, 2025. 

After reviewing all comments received, the court has determined that no further action will be taken on this proposal at this time. The court thanks all individuals and organizations who submitted comments for their time and participation in this process.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order amending the Iowa Rules of Probate Procedure and the Iowa Rules of Juvenile Procedure and adopting new and revised guardianship and conservatorship court forms. The amendments update the rules and forms to reflect statutory changes enacted by the legislature and signed into law. The order also makes the court-prescribed guardianship plan and report forms mandatory for all guardians, whether represented by counsel or self-represented. The rule amendments and new and revised forms are effective November 10, 2025, subject to the legislative review period provided in Iowa Code section 602.4202. Fillable PDFs of the forms will be made available on the court’s forms page on the effective date.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting amendments to chapters 12 and 13 of the Iowa Court Rules and related forms. The amendments incorporate recent changes to Iowa Code chapters 125 and 229 and address the county where an application for involuntary hospitalization or commitment may be filed. Redlined versions of the changes to the rules are provided with the order. Fillable versions of the revised forms are also provided with the order.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order adopting an Amended Memorandum of Operation for the Iowa Business Specialty Court. The amended memorandum replaces the previous amended memorandum in its entirety and is effective immediately. The amended memorandum excludes certain cases from the business court docket and provides for a process for a presiding business court judge to transfer a case back to the regular court docket upon determining that the case no longer meets the requirements of eligibility for the business court docket. No other changes were made to the previous amended memorandum of operation.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing Katie Foley, Noah Hoffman, Madison Rush, and Emily McNab-Wright to the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure Review Task Force.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order approving amendments to Chapter 47 of the Iowa Court Rules—Court Interpreter and Translator Rules. Revisions are also made to statewide template orders reflecting the Iowa Judicial Branch’s new streamlined scheduling and invoicing application for interpreters and translators.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order creating the Fairness in Jury Selection Task Force and appointing members to the task force.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing Stephanie Hinz, Cedar Rapids, as a member of the Iowa Access to Justice Commission for a one-year term as Iowa State Bar Association President-Elect.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order requesting public comment on recommendations from the Iowa Child Support Guidelines Review Committee concerning the Iowa child support guidelines in chapter 9 of the Iowa Court Rules. The deadline for submitting public comments is 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 30, 2025.

Chief Justice Christensen signed the attached order appointing Justice McDermott to serve as Acting Chief Justice when she is unavailable. 

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order amending rule 16.702, regarding the paper filing of warrants and other similar applications, and rule 16.802, regarding the paper filing of emergency applications in juvenile cases. The amendments are not intended to modify existing clerk of court practices and are effective immediately.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order amending Rule 2.36—Form 4: Return of Service to incorporate a recent amendment to Iowa Code section 808.8. The new form is adopted effective May 26, 2025, subject to the Iowa Code section 602.4202 legislative council review process.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing Carin Forbes, Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Des Moines, to the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure Review Task Force.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order appointing the Honorable Anuradha Vaitheswaran, Retired Judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals, Des Moines, to the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure Review Task Force.

The Iowa Supreme Court reselected Justice Susan Larson Christensen, Harlan, as chief justice. Chief Justice Christensen’s previous term as chief justice expired December 31, 2024. Her new term begins January 1, 2025. A chief justice serves for two years.

Chief Justice Christensen has signed an order reappointing members to the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Judicial Technology.

Chief Justice Christensen has filed an order approving appointment of new members to the Iowa Integrated Justice Advisory Committee and re-appointment of certain members to the Committee.