About The Hawkeye Ledger
Who writes The Hawkeye Ledger, what it covers for Iowa families, how each guide is made and why an independent magazine now runs on this domain.
The Hawkeye Ledger is an independent journal about the public side of getting your affairs in order in Iowa. It covers estate planning, wills and trusts, probate and estate administration, powers of attorney, guardianship, and care for elderly parents. It is written in plain English for families, farmers and executors who need to understand how a process works before they walk into it.
What the site covers
Three sections carry the site. Estate Planning explains wills, trusts, beneficiary designations and how property passes to the next generation. Probate and Administration explains how an Iowa estate is opened, administered and closed, and what an executor is expected to do. Elder Law and Care explains powers of attorney, advance directives, guardianship and conservatorship, and how families arrange and pay for care.How the articles are written
Every guide is written in the third person, from public sources, and each one names the sources it draws on. The editors describe courts, agencies, law firms and other organizations in the third person and never as "we". The site sells nothing, publishes no advertising that shapes the content, and does not provide legal advice for an individual situation. Where the law changes, the editors update the guide and date it. The editors are not a law firm and do not act as anyone's lawyer. Nothing on the site creates a lawyer and client relationship. For advice about your own estate, consult a lawyer licensed in Iowa.Why the domain
This domain once belonged to a law practice in West Des Moines, Iowa. That practice is not connected to this publication, and The Hawkeye Ledger does not speak for it. The domain was acquired and is now used for an independent magazine on the same public subjects the practice dealt with: estates, probate, property and elder law. The editorial voice is deliberately neutral and independent.Corrections
If you find an error, an outdated figure or a source that no longer exists, write to the editors at the address on the contact page. Corrections are made in the article and noted when the change is material.The Hawkeye Ledger editorial team.