Tools for Des Moines Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Des Moines families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

If you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator for families in Des Moines, you already know the pattern: two parents, one child, and a record of what happened that lives in two different phones. FamilyCourtHelp.com gives the parents you work with one organized place for co-parent messages, schedules, parenting plans, expenses, and records, so the time they spend with you, and in front of the Iowa District Court for Polk County, goes to the children instead of the screenshots.

Area covered: Polk County.

Court for custody cases: Iowa District Court for Polk County (Fifth Judicial District).

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Depends on the county or judge.

Parenting class: Required statewide.

State family law: Iowa Code Chapter 598 - Dissolution of Marriage.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Des Moines

In Iowa, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

Nothing here opens a family's account to you on its own. When a parent wants you in, they send a single-use invitation into the co-parent conversation; you join with your own free account, see the full thread and the shared calendar's change requests, and can post. They can also share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors in Des Moines

Court-involved therapists, reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Des Moines get no seat in the conversation and no access to accounts. Parents keep their own time-stamped record and decide what to show you, which keeps your role clear. For co-parenting work, the Tone Meter in the free messenger shows a parent how a message will land and offers a calmer version before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Des Moines

In Iowa, custody mediation is set county by county. The details are in the FAQ below.

Parents can bring you in before the first meeting in Des Moines: a single-use link adds you to the co-parent conversation, and a shared parenting plan lets you read the draft and comment on it. After the session, what was agreed stays in writing in the thread, and schedule changes run through the shared calendar's request and approval record.

Family court programs in Des Moines

Custody cases in Des Moines are heard in the Iowa District Court for Polk County. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Fifth Judicial District Family Law Mediation: The Fifth Judicial District has ordered that parties in family law cases go through mediation before going to trial.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Des Moines, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Des Moines: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Polk: Iowa Judicial Branch - Representing Yourself. Free guidance, forms and court rules for Iowans handling their own civil case without a lawyer.

Polk legal aid: Iowa Legal Aid, (800) 532-1503.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Des Moines?

The Iowa District Court in Polk County hears divorce and custody cases for the Des Moines area. Polk County is part of Iowa's Fifth Judicial District.

Is there a court mediation program in Des Moines?

Yes. Families with a case in the local court can use the Fifth Judicial District Family Law Mediation. What it offers, and the official link, are in the family court programs section above.

Where can parents in Des Moines get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Iowa Judicial Branch - Representing Yourself. Free legal aid: Iowa Legal Aid. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Des Moines?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session. Families with a case in the local court can ask about the Fifth Judicial District Family Law Mediation.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Des Moines custody case?

An Iowa judge may appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the best interests of the child in a custody case. The guardian ad litem must be a practicing attorney, and the same person cannot also serve as the child's attorney or as the child and family reporter. You may also see "attorney for the child" and "child and family reporter". The rule is in Iowa Code 598.12. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Iowa?

Iowa law lets the district court order parents into mediation in a divorce or custody case, on its own or when a parent asks. Each judicial district sets its own mediation procedures, and some require a session before trial. Parents do not have to reach an agreement in mediation.

Do parents in Iowa have to take a parenting class?

Parents in any Iowa case involving custody or visitation must take a course about the needs of children during and after the case. The course must be done within 45 days after the petition is served.