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Best Probate Lawyers in Iowa City, IA

Our Recommended Top 18

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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Iowa City Probate Lawyers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

33Reviewed

27Curated

18Top Picks

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Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

1570 South 1st Avenue, Suite G, Iowa City, IA 52240

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.3 (15)
Facebook
5.0 (7)

Why choose this provider?

Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C., is a personal injury law firm representing injured individuals in Iowa City since 1958. It assists clients in managing and navigating the probate process to help them distribute the estate of their deceased individuals. The firm's attorneys use their experience and resources in the legal field to recover multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements against large multinational corporations and hospital systems. Two of its attorneys, Harlan Daniel Holm Jr. and Eashaan Vajpeyi, are former Iowa Association for Justice presidents.

  • Estate Planning

504 E. Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA 52245

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Review Sources

Google
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Based in Iowa City, Larew Law Office is a general practice law firm that serves as a legal advocate for clients in many areas. Focused primarily on insurance law, environmental law, and traffic camera litigation, the firm also provides legal representation in wills and probate matters. In practice for over 30 years, principal attorney James Larew has served as a general counsel to Iowa Governor Chet Culver and chief of staff in the Office of the Governor.

  • Probate

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
James Larew - AttorneyActive39 yrs

2115 Laporte Road, Iowa City, IA 50702

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Review Sources

Google
4.6 (25)
Facebook
5.0 (6)
Avvo
5.0 (6)

Why choose this provider?

Timothy D. Ament Law Firm, P.C., caters to clients in Iowa City. It offers representation in a variety of practice areas, including estate planning. It assists individuals and families in preserving their assets and planning for their loved ones by handling issues concerning probate, wills, trusts, living wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives. Timothy Ament, the owner of the firm, has been practicing law since 1988. He is a member of the family law section of the Iowa Bar Association.

  • Estate Planning

845 Quarry Road, Coralville, IA 52241

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Google
3.9 (7)
Facebook
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Dell A. Richard is a family-owned and -operated law firm whose husband-and-wife attorneys have been serving clients in the Iowa City metro area for more than 35 years. The attorneys practice probate law. Their experience includes administering estates, such as collecting and distributing them, and handling contested wills. The firm's additional areas of practice include establishing living wills and trusts to help clients avoid probate or minimize its costs.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Dell Richard - PrincipalActive49 yrs

119 N Court, Fairfield, IA 52556

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Google
4.8 (30)
Facebook
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Miller Law Office serves clients in Iowa City. The company provides probate services that can help families preserve the wealth of their deceased loved ones. Father-and-son team David and Paul Miller assist clients with a wide range of probate matters, including asset transfer and distribution, probate and will administration, inheritance tax return preparation, and estate closing. David Miller has been practicing law since 1974. He was a founding member of the Iowa Bar's International Law Committee. Paul, his son, joined his firm in 2005.

  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Paul Miller - PrincipalActive19 yrs

123 N. Linn St., Suite 300, Iowa City, IA 52245

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Holland, Michael, Raiber & Sittig PLC is a law firm that provides legal guidance and representation to clients in Iowa City and the nearby areas. It assists individuals and families who are going through estate planning and probate. Also included in the firm's areas of practice are appellate law, business formation, collaborative dissolution of marriage, real estate, and transactional and commercial law. C. Joseph Holland, one of its attorneys, has been in practice since 1977. He is a member of the National Council of School Attorneys.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Charles Holland - PartnerActive47 yrs

1303 5th Street, Coralville, IA 52241

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Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (49)
Google
4.6 (11)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Melvin O. Shaw PLC is a general litigation law firm that was formed by a probate lawyer near Iowa City. The attorney has been practicing law for over 15 years, and his team works with individuals and families who have lost a family member in order to get the decedent's will validated. It also helps the executor carry out the decedent's last wishes. Shaw previously served as the president of the Johnson County Bar Association.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Melvin Shaw - PrincipalActive18 yrs

119 Wright St., Iowa City, IA 52240

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (11)

Why choose this provider?

Neuzil Sanderson & Sigafoose PC is a general practice law firm that has been serving Iowa City clients since 1957. Its team of attorneys brings over 60 years of combined legal experience in providing representation in the areas of estate planning, probate, real estate, income taxation, and business law. For wills and estate matters, they guide clients throughout the process of will and trust preparation, financial and medical powers of attorney, probate administration, and tax planning.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Jay Sigafoose - PartnerActive29 yrs

300 East 2nd Street Suite 300, Muscatine, IA 52761

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.6 (12)

Why choose this provider?

The Kundel Law Office provides services to clients in Iowa City. It handles probate matters, working to ease the burden for families by assisting in the transfer of estate assets in the wake of a loved one's passing. The firm also offers estate planning services, including drafting simple and complex wills, living trusts, healthcare and financial powers of attorney, and business succession. Principal attorney Steven D. Kundel has been in the legal practice since 2000. He brings his experience in resolving issues and disputes through mediation. 

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Steven Kundel - PrincipalActive24 yrs

736 Lake Park Blvd, Muscatine, IA 52761

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Facebook
5.0 (13)
Google
4.6 (7)

Why choose this provider?

Eichelberger Law Office PC is a private legal practice that serves the residents of Iowa City and the surrounding areas. Its team helps estate administrators or executors move a decedent's will through probate. It assists with probate matters such as intestate succession, testamentary estate administration, and creditor claims. The firm also resolves claims between estate beneficiaries. Principal attorney John R. Eichelberger has been practicing law since 1983. He serves on the board of directors for the Muscatine Welfare Association.

  • Inheritance Taxes
  • Estate Settlement

150 1st Avenue Northeast, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.5 (10)

Why choose this provider?

The attorneys at Day Rettig Martin PC, a multi-practice law firm near Iowa City, share more than 100 years of experience representing clients throughout the state. Much of their experience is in helping clients develop plans designed to avoid or mitigate probate. They also assist executors nominated to administer the wills of loved ones, providing them with legal guidance, and taking on the practical tasks of collecting the estates and distributing them to their heirs.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Joseph Day - ShareholderActive61 yrs

568 Hwy 1 West, Iowa City, IA 52246

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Anderson Houghton, Attorneys at Law, is a firm in Iowa City that has been serving the legal needs of residents and businesses in estate planning, real estate, and business law since 2004. The firm also has experience in family law and health care counsel. Its team of attorneys gives clients peace of mind knowing that their loved ones are taken care of through wills, trusts, gift planning, and advanced directives. They can also assist individuals and families through the probate process.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

330 E Court St, Iowa City, IA 52240

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (4)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Honohan, Epley, Braddock & Brenneman LLP is an Iowa City law firm that practices probate law. Its attorneys have many years of experience in probate administration. Their typical services include assisting executors, heirs, and beneficiaries, handling all of the time-consuming aspects of collecting and valuing the decedent's estate, and ensuring the estate is distributed in line with the instructions in the will. The attorneys also practice elder law and tax law.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Maurine Braddock - PartnerActive42 yrs

425 Second Street SE #1200, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.6 (11)

Why choose this provider?

Scott Shoemaker & Associates caters to the estate planning and probate needs of clients throughout Iowa City. It offers legal solutions in several components of the probate procedure, from paying off debts and taxes to managing and selling real estate. It has developed a six-point checklist that helps people determine whether they meet all the prerequisites for a will. Other services offered by the firm include incapacity planning, non-contested adult guardianship, and guardianship trusts for special needs.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

120 East Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (4)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Established in 1926, Hayek, Moreland, Smith & Bergus, L.L.P., is a law firm that caters to clients in Iowa City and the nearby areas. It offers legal counsel and representation in probate and trust establishment and management. It also assists in different aspects of estate planning, including the preparation of financial and medical powers of attorney and will. Joseph T. Moreland, one of the firm's attorneys, is a fellow in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers and a member of the Iowa Defense Counsel Association.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Commercial Litigation

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Matthew Hayek - PartnerActive23 yrs
Alison Smith - PartnerActive25 yrs

201 E Main St, Ste 202, Solon, IA 52333

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (18)

Why choose this provider?

Deeney Law Firm PLC offers legal services in Iowa City. It represents clients through probate and trust administration, striving to make the process simple and straightforward. It also helps families with concerns related to estate planning and elder law. The firm's areas of practice include business law, policy development, and contract drafting and review. A native of Iowa, owner Joe Deeney established the firm in 2019. He is a member of the estate planning and elder care organizations WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

920 12th Street, Belle Plaine, IA 52208

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Kollmorgen, Schlue & Zahradnik, P.C., is a multi-practice firm that has been serving Iowa City for over five decades. Managing partner Jennifer Zahradnik helps families obtain financial security and protect their future by establishing wills and trusts and administering probate. She has settled complex estates, distributed assets to beneficiaries, and organized tax documents for probate issues. Zahradnik also works with families in creating trust and managing tax returns. She is a trained mediator and serves as an Iowa Club Lamb Association board member.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

209 E. Washington Street Paul-Helen Building Suite 203, Iowa City, IA 52240

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (9)
Avvo
5.0 (2)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Mears Law Office provides legal services to clients in probate matters in the Iowa City metro. It assists in drafting legal documents—including wills, living wills, powers of attorney—and coordinates with administrators in the probate of wills. It also handles estate planning and administration and guardianship and conservatorship. Additionally, the law firm covers other practice areas, including family law and criminal defense. Lead attorney Philip Mears started his legal career by representing incarcerated individuals. He has been practicing law since 1977.

  • Probate

Compare our Top Probate Lawyers

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
Ball, Kirk & Holm, P.C.
1570 South 1st Avenue, Suite G, Iowa City, IA 52240
Larew Law Office
504 E. Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA 52245
Timothy D. Ament Law Firm, P.C.
2115 Laporte Road, Iowa City, IA 50702
The Law Offices of Dell A. Richard
845 Quarry Road, Coralville, IA 52241
Miller Law Office
119 N Court, Fairfield, IA 52556
Holland, Michael, Raiber & Sittig PLC
123 N. Linn St., Suite 300, Iowa City, IA 52245
The Law Office of Melvin O. Shaw, P.L.C.
1303 5th Street, Coralville, IA 52241
Neuzil Sanderson & Sigafoose PC
119 Wright St., Iowa City, IA 52240
Kundel Law Office
300 East 2nd Street Suite 300, Muscatine, IA 52761
Eichelberger Law Office PC
736 Lake Park Blvd, Muscatine, IA 52761
Day Rettig Martin, P.C.
150 1st Avenue Northeast, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Anderson Houghton Attorneys at Law
568 Hwy 1 West, Iowa City, IA 52246
Honohan, Epley, Braddock & Brenneman, LLP
330 E Court St, Iowa City, IA 52240
Scott Shoemaker & Associates
425 Second Street SE #1200, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Hayek, Moreland, Smith & Bergus, L.L.P.
120 East Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240
Deeney Law Firm PLC
201 E Main St, Ste 202, Solon, IA 52333
Kollmorgen, Schlue & Zahradnik, P.C.
920 12th Street, Belle Plaine, IA 52208
Mears Law Office
209 E. Washington Street Paul-Helen Building Suite 203, Iowa City, IA 52240

Disclaimer:  Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services with Expertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Iowa City, IA Probate FAQs

  • What is the non-emergency contact number for the local police station in Iowa City, Iowa?

    The non-emergency number for the Iowa City Police Department is (319) 356-6800.

  • Where can I get a copy of police reports for incidents related to my case in Iowa City, Iowa?

    The Iowa City Police Department provides three methods for obtaining a copy of a police report. Firstly, you can contact them via phone at (319) 356-5275. Secondly, visit the Iowa City Police Department in person, located at 410 E Washington St, Iowa City, IA 52240. Lastly, you can request a copy of the report by sending an email to icpdrecords@iowa-city.org.

  • What are the typical causes of trust and estate disputes in Iowa City?

    Probate and trust administration in Iowa City involve large sums of money while families are grieving, leading to emotional tension. This, combined with various issues such as unclear documents, breaches of duties, coercion, inconsistencies in the estate planning documents, and the decedent lacking the mental competence to execute the will or trust, often gives rise to estate and trust disputes. These disputes can result in heirs being disinherited or receiving less than they are entitled to.

  • How does the removal of executors, trustees, or guardians in Iowa City work?

    Probate courts in Iowa City only remove executors, trustees, or guardians who knowingly or carelessly breach their fiduciary duties. For instance, if property losses occur as a result of a good-faith investment of estate assets, it does not warrant removal. Only individuals with an interest in the testamentary documents have the right to petition the court for the removal and replacement of fiduciaries. In cases of fiduciary litigation, claimants must collect and present evidence, such as depositions, expert witness testimonies, and formal accountings, to demonstrate a significant breach of fiduciary duty or deliberate mismanagement of fiduciary assets.

  • Who usually commits probate fraud in Iowa City?

    In estate disputes in Iowa City, alleged fraudsters are often fiduciaries responsible for estate planning or execution or individuals who had a close relationship with a vulnerable testator.

    • Relatives with direct access to estate property and planning documents can engage in fraud.
    • Caregivers, as fiduciaries, have a legal duty to act in the best interests of the testators. The courts may hold them personally liable for returning misappropriated estate assets if evidence reveals that they violated their fiduciary obligations by using undue influence or deceiving vulnerable testators.
    • Estate planning lawyers and individuals granted power of attorney over a testator's estate occasionally manipulate inheritances by misleading testators into transferring probate assets to them.
  • Is the eldest child automatically entitled to become the executor of their parent's estate in Iowa City?

    Rarely is this the case. In the event that a deceased parent in Iowa City selects an executor, the eldest child does not possess any decision-making authority. If no executor is named, the state will approach the closest relative to assume the role, typically starting with the living spouse. If there is no living spouse, the state will turn to the children. At this point, the children can either select a single representative to act on their behalf or become co-executors themselves.

  • When should you amend your will in Iowa City?

    It is possible to modify your will prior to your passing. It is advisable to periodically review and make changes to your will in Iowa City under the following circumstances:

    • You get divorced or married
    • You relocate or acquire property in a different state
    • There are changes in tax, property, trust, or probate laws
    • Your beneficiaries pass away or become severely ill
    • You change your intentions regarding asset inheritance
    • There are significant fluctuations in the size of your estate

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