The clerk must forthwith enter judgment upon a verdict when filed, unless it is special, or the court has ordered the case reserved for future argument or consideration.
Rule 1.955.On verdict
Division IX: Trial and Judgment · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.955 requires the clerk to enter judgment right away once a jury's verdict is filed, unless the verdict is special or the court has reserved the case for further argument or consideration.
Full Text of Rule 1.955
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1.955 makes entering judgment on an ordinary verdict a clerical task, not a judicial one. The clerk must enter judgment forthwith upon a verdict when it is filed — no separate order from the judge is described for that ordinary case.
Two situations pull a case out of that automatic track. A special verdict does not by itself announce who wins, so it needs additional court action before judgment can follow — Rule 1.933 covers special verdicts and Rule 1.934 covers interrogatories to the jury. And if the court has ordered the case reserved for further argument or consideration, the clerk does not enter judgment on the verdict alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a judge have to approve entry of judgment on an ordinary jury verdict?
Rule 1.955 directs the clerk to enter judgment forthwith once an ordinary verdict is filed, without describing a separate judicial sign-off step for that case.
What is a “special” verdict and why does it matter here?
A special verdict, addressed in Rule 1.933, does not by itself state which party wins, so it takes the case outside Rule 1.955's automatic entry of judgment.
What if the court has reserved the case for further argument?
Then judgment is not automatically entered on the verdict — the case stays open pending that further argument or consideration.
Does “forthwith” mean a specific number of days?
No. Rule 1.955 uses “forthwith” rather than a fixed number of days, meaning entry should happen without delay once the verdict is filed.
Where are special verdicts and jury interrogatories addressed?
Rules 1.933 and 1.934 govern special verdicts and interrogatories to the jury.
Source & verification. Rule text and the Comment are
reproduced verbatim from the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, adopted by the
Iowa Supreme Court. Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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