Court papers, or papers of the court, is a general reference to the documents filed with the clerk of the court during the course of a civil lawsuit. These documents are generally accessible to the public and include the petition or complaint that initiated the lawsuit, the answer filed in response to the lawsuit, motions seeking certain types of relief from the court, responses opposing such motions, and other documents such as each party’s inventory of the property owned by the parties to a divorce and a social or home study analyzing parenting and child custody qualifications in a child custody dispute. Some documents created during a lawsuit are not filed with the court and are therefore not included in the papers of the court.

In Iowa, court papers or documents filed with the clerk of the court during a civil lawsuit are generally considered public records and are accessible to the public. These documents include the initial petition or complaint, the defendant's answer, motions, responses, and other relevant filings such as property inventories in divorce cases and studies related to child custody. However, not all documents created during a lawsuit are filed with the court; some may be exchanged between the parties without being part of the official court record. Iowa law also recognizes certain exceptions to public access, such as confidentiality for sensitive information, including but not limited to juvenile records, sealed documents, and certain family law documents. Access to these records may be restricted to protect privacy or other sensitive interests. It is important to note that while most court documents are accessible, the process for obtaining them can vary by county and may require a formal request or fee.