Child custody in case of married couple differs from that of the unmarried couple in Iowa child custody laws and
the laws in general are as follows.
Custody in unmarried cases:
If a child is born to an unmarried mother,
- Then the mother has all the rights of the child and she takes the custody.
- Father can simply acknowledge paternity before seven years of the child’s birth. This can be done by
Ø Signing an affidavit,
Ø Birth certificate of the child or
Ø By supporting the mother of the child.
If done so within the reasonable period,
the court may establish parental rights of the child to the father along with the mother.
