Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 144C.3 (2026)

Declaration — designee

✓ current as of July 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section IA-LEGlegis.iowa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

1. A declaration shall name a designee who shall have the sole responsibility and discretion for making decisions concerning the final disposition of the declarant’s remains and the ceremonies planned after the declarant’s death. A declaration may name one or more alternate designees and may include contact information for the designees and alternate designees. 2. A declaration shall not include directives for final disposition of the declarant’s remains and shall not include arrangements for ceremonies planned after the declarant’s death. 3. A designee, an alternate designee, and a third party shall act in good faith and in a manner that is reasonable under the circumstances. 4. A funeral director, an attorney, or any agent, owner, or employee of a funeral establishment, cremation establishment, cemetery, elder group home, assisted living program, adult day services program, or licensed hospice program shall not serve as a designee unless married to the declarant or related to the declarant within the third degree of consanguinity. 5. This section shall not be construed to permit a person who is not licensed pursuant to chapter 156 to make funeral arrangements. 2008 Acts, ch 1051, §8, 22; 2008 Acts, ch 1191, §124; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §46; 2020 Acts, ch 1025, §3

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 1 case, 2013–2013 · leading case: In the Matter of the Est. of Mary Florence Whalen, Michael Whalen, 827 N.W.2d 184 (Iowa 2013).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

In the Matter of the Est. of Mary Florence Whalen, Michael Whalen, 827 N.W.2d 184 (Iowa 2013). · cites it 18× “§ 144C.3(1). The plain language of the Act thereby permits a person to designate someone to make burial decisions, yet does not require the chosen designee to follow the decedent’s wishes.”

— Iowa Code § 144C.3(1) — 1 case

In the Matter of the Est. of Mary Florence Whalen, Michael Whalen, 827 N.W.2d 184 (Iowa 2013). “§ 144C.3(1). The plain language of the Act thereby permits a person to designate someone to make burial decisions, yet does not require the chosen designee to follow the decedent’s wishes.”

— Iowa Code § 144C.3(2) — 1 case

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.