598.16  Conciliation — domestic relations divisions.
  1.  A majority of the judges in any judicial district, with the cooperation of any county board of supervisors in the district, may establish a domestic relations division of the district court of the county where the board is located. The division shall offer counseling and related services to persons before the court.
  2.  The court may on its own motion or upon the motion of a party require the parties to participate in conciliation efforts for a period of sixty days or less following the issuance of an order setting forth the conciliation procedure and the conciliator. In making a determination under this section, the court shall consider all relevant factors including but not limited to whether a history of abuse or violence exists.
  3.  Every order for conciliation shall require the conciliator to file a written report by a date certain which shall state the conciliation procedures undertaken and such other matters as may have been required by the court. The report shall be a part of the record unless otherwise ordered by the court. Such conciliation procedure may include but is not limited to referrals to the domestic relations division of the court, if established, public or private marriage counselors, family service agencies, community health centers, physicians and clergy.
  4.  The costs of conciliation procedures shall be paid in full or in part by the parties and taxed as court costs; however, if the court determines that the parties will be unable to pay the costs without prejudicing their financial ability to provide themselves and any minor children with economic necessities, the costs may be paid in full or in part by the county.
  5.  Persons providing counseling and other services pursuant to this section are not court employees, but are subject to court supervision.
[C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §598.16]
83 Acts, ch 123, §194, 209; 83 Acts, ch 186, §10110, 10201; 93 Acts, ch 54, §11; 2007 Acts, ch 180, §1; 2014 Acts, ch 1107, §18; 2017 Acts, ch 43, §5; 2019 Acts, ch 63, §1
Referred to in §331.424, 598.5, 602.11101