Iowa · funeral and cremation law
Funeral and cremation law in Iowa
Who decides, what has to wait, and what a funeral home must tell you. Every fact links to its statute. Not legal advice.
- Who can authorize a cremation
Iowa's Final Disposition Act sets out who has the right to control final disposition. A person designated under the decedent's declaration has priority, followed by the surviving spouse and then other family members in the statutory order.
- Paperwork before a cremation
Iowa's rules require a cremation authorization form and identify the information that must accompany the authorization. The rules also govern what happens to cremated remains after cremation and provide for disposal of unclaimed remains after the statutory period.
- When a funeral director is required
Funeral Consumers Alliance identifies Iowa as one of the states where a funeral director must be involved to make cremation arrangements.
The estate letter · Iowa
After the funeral: settling the estate, one month at a time
Twelve months of steps with Iowa's own numbers and deadlines. Read the checklist now, or sign up there for one email a month.
Get the estate letter- Month 1The first things to gather
- Month 2Work out what the estate is
- Month 3Get the authority to act
- 9 more months
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Estate checklist for Iowa
After the funeral: what the executor does, month by month, with Iowa's numbers and deadlines.