Terms of Service

RateIowaLawyers.com is a consumer-transparency platform — not a lawyer-referral service. We publish public attorney records, reviews, and case-outcome context so Iowa consumers can research options on their own.

We do not guarantee outcomes, endorse listed attorneys, or provide legal advice. Enhanced listings and other paid products are advertising — not referral fees — and do not change organic search or AI Guide rank. See our Referral & Ranking Policy and data sources & methodology page.

Better Cards, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (file no. 10108882), operates RateIowaLawyers.com.

• "Site" means RateIowaLawyers.com, our applications, APIs, and related services we operate.
• "Operator," "we," "us," means Better Cards, LLC.
• "You" means the person or entity accessing or using the Site.
• "Service"means all features we make available, including without limitation: attorney directory listings and search; user ratings and reviews; maps and geocoded displays; statistics and dashboards; firm or professional "network" listings and relationship or connection visualizations; pages that summarize public or contributed data (including risk, ethics, or "corruption"-style indicators where offered); account, favorites, and authentication features; and administrative tools where we grant you access.
• "User Content" means text, ratings, reviews, images, links, or other materials you submit, post, or transmit through the Site.
• "Directory Data" means attorney or firm fields we compile from public records, licensed datasets, third-party sites, or submissions, including imported reviews or metadata from third-party pages where we disclose that practice.

By accessing or using the Site, you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Community Guidelines (each incorporated by reference). If you do not agree, do not use the Site.

We may modify the Site and these Terms at any time. We will update the "Last updated" date and post the revised Terms on this page. Material changes may be accompanied by additional notice (for example, a banner or email to registered users). Continued use after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance except where applicable law requires express consent.

You consent to receive communications from us electronically (for example, email or notices on the Site). You are responsible for keeping your email address current.

The Site is intended for users located primarily in the United States. You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, if higher) to create an account or submit User Content. If you use the Site on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization.

• You must provide accurate registration information and keep credentials secure.
• You are responsible for all activity under your account unless you notify us promptly of unauthorized use.
• We may suspend, restrict, or terminate accounts or access for breach of these Terms, legal risk, non-payment of subscription fees, prolonged inactivity, or operational reasons.
• You may stop using the Site at any time. Provisions that by their nature should survive (including licenses granted for User Content already distributed, indemnity, disclaimers, limitations, and dispute terms) survive termination.

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for personal or internal business research about attorneys—not to systematically extract, resell, or build a competing product without our written consent.

You agree not to:

• Violate any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right.
• Post or transmit unlawful, fraudulent, defamatory, harassing, discriminatory, hateful, violent, obscene, sexually explicit, or exploitative content.
• Dox, threaten, stalk, or encourage harm toward any person, including attorneys, judges, staff, or other users.
• Impersonate any person or entity, misrepresent your identity or affiliation, or manipulate ratings or reviews (including coordinated "brigading," incentives for positive/negative reviews, or fake accounts).
• Scrape, crawl, harvest, or use automation to access the Site in a way that burdens our systems, bypasses rate limits or authentication, or violates our robots.txt, except as permitted by law.
• Introduce malware, interfere with security, or probe or attack our infrastructure.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract source code or models from the Service except where prohibited by law.
• Use the Service to send unsolicited commercial communications without consent.

See also our Community Guidelines for moderation expectations on reviews and public conduct.

You retain ownership of your User Content. You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, display, distribute, translate, create derivative works from, and otherwise use User Content as needed to operate, secure, promote, and improve the Service, including moderation, format conversion, aggregation, and creation of de-identified statistics.

You represent and warrant that:

• You own or have all rights and consents needed to grant the license above.
• Your User Content is accurate where stated as fact, and clearly presented as opinion where it is opinion.
• Your User Content complies with these Terms and applicable law.

To the extent permitted by law, you waive any moral rights or similar rights you may have in User Content as necessary for us to exercise the license above.

We are not obligated to monitor User Content but may review, remove, refuse to post, or restrict User Content at any time for any reason, including legal compliance, quality, or operational load. We may disclose User Content or account information if required by law or legal process.

The Service may display Directory Data, User Content, and materials from third parties. Such materials are the responsibility of the person or entity that made them available. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or legality of third-party or user-supplied materials.

User reviews are third-party content submitted by visitors. To the extent permitted by United States law (including 47 U.S.C. § 230), we are not the publisher or speaker of User Content and may moderate, remove, or decline to display it consistent with our policies.

Platform analytics — including scores, grades, AI summaries, case-outcome statistics, and similar features we generate — are our own editorial products, not User Content. They are presented as our evaluation based on disclosed inputs and methodology, not as objective facts or guarantees of attorney competence.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to waive defenses or immunities that may be available to us under United States federal or state law except to the extent any waiver is expressly stated in writing by our authorized officer.

Case and disposition information comes from public court records when those records are currently public at the time we access them. Iowa law may later expunge, seal, or restrict access to some matters (for example Iowa Code ch. 901C, § 907.1, and juvenile sealing). We maintain suppression procedures to remove or withhold matter that is no longer lawfully public. If you believe we are displaying a record that should be suppressed, contact [email protected] with the profile URL and case identifier.

RateIowaLawyers.com is an informational transparency tool for consumers researching attorneys. It is nota consumer reporting agency and does not provide "consumer reports" under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Do not use the Site for employment, tenant screening, credit, or insurance eligibility decisions. See our data sources & methodology page for limitations.

Nothing on the Site constitutes legal advice. Use of the Site does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and the Operator or any attorney listed. For legal advice, retain a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

The Site may allow account owners to share private case workspace content with attorneys or other individuals they invite. You are solely responsible for:

• Reviewing all content for attorney-client privilege, work product protection, and confidentiality before granting access
• Verifying that any attorney you invite is properly licensed in the relevant jurisdiction
• Ensuring compliance with applicable professional conduct rules and ethical obligations
• Managing and revoking access as appropriate

The Operator does not review shared content, verify attorney credentials, or provide legal advice regarding sharing decisions. Shared workspace activity is logged and visible to the workspace owner. Use of sharing features does not create attorney-client relationships between users and the Operator or between users and shared attorneys unless separately established outside the platform.

Inclusion of an attorney or firm, display of contact information, maps, scores, reviews, or analytical summaries does not constitute a recommendation, endorsement, referral, or certification by the Operator. We do not guarantee current bar admission, specialty certification, or fitness for any matter unless we expressly state otherwise in writing for a specific paid certification program.

Attorneys may claim a directory profile and optionally purchase an Enhanced listing subscription (currently $49/month when offered). Enhanced is an advertising product that unlocks additional profile tools (for example published fees, languages, virtual consultation flag, contact inbox, review responses, and an external booking link). Enhanced and other paid plans do not change search ranking, map ordering, or AI Guide matching order. See our Referral & Ranking Policy.

Subscriptions are billed through Stripe. Fees are non-refundable except where required by law or stated in a separate written agreement. You authorize recurring charges until you cancel through the billing portal or we terminate for cause.

Attorneys are solely responsible for compliance with the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct, applicable court rules, and other advertising and solicitation rules. We do not provide ethics or compliance advice.

If you believe Directory Data is factually incorrect, outdated, or infringes your rights, contact us at [email protected] with enough detail to locate the record (URL, attorney name, and the alleged error). We may investigate and, where appropriate, correct, annotate, or remove information. We are not obligated to alter truthful opinion or lawful user reviews solely because a subject dislikes them; you may have independent remedies under law.

Features that visualize relationships, statistics, or risk-style indicators are informational only. They may rely on incomplete data, heuristics, or third-party sources. They are not findings of misconduct, guilt, civil liability, or professional discipline unless an official tribunal or regulator has published that outcome and we clearly label it as such.

Map pins, coordinates, and regional summaries may be approximate (for example, city- or county-level placement). Do not rely on map placement for service of process, emergency response, or legal sufficiency without independent verification.

The Site may link to third-party websites or services. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party terms, privacy practices, or content. Your dealings with third parties are solely between you and them.

The Site design, software, logos, branding, and original compilations (excluding your User Content and uncopyrightable facts) are owned by the Operator or licensors and protected by intellectual property laws. Except for the limited license in Section 5, no rights are granted.

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe material on the Site infringes your copyright, send a written notice that meets the requirements of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512) to our designated agent:

• Designated agent email: [email protected]

• Legal entity: Better Cards, LLC
• State of formation: Delaware (DE)
• Delaware file no.: 10108882
• Registered office / legal mailing (DE): Better Cards, LLC, c/o Northwest Registered Agent Service, Inc., 8 The Green, Suite B, Dover, DE 19901, United States

Your notice should include at minimum:

• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
• Identification of the allegedly infringing material and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material (URL and screenshot if helpful).
• Your contact information.
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief that use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
• Your physical or electronic signature.

If we remove or disable content in response to a DMCA notice, we may notify the contributor and provide information about filing a counter-notification under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g) where applicable. We may terminate repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances.

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE OPERATOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE OPERATOR OR ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US $100) OR (B) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID US FOR THE SERVICE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO LIABILITY (IF ANY). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS; IN THOSE CASES OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Operator and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to your User Content, your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of applicable law.

If you have a dispute with another user or with any attorney listed on the Site, you release the Operator (and our affiliates and personnel) from claims, demands, and damages of every kind and nature, known and unknown, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes, except where a release is prohibited by law.

Informal resolution first. Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at [email protected] and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least thirty (30) days.

Small claims. Either party may bring a qualifying individual claim in small-claims court.

Governing law.These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Iowa, without regard to conflict-of-law rules that would require application of another jurisdiction's laws.

Venue. Except where prohibited by applicable consumer protection law, you agree that state or federal courts located in Iowa have personal jurisdiction and venue over any dispute arising from these Terms or the Service, and you waive any objection to jurisdiction or venue in those courts.

Individual claims.To the fullest extent permitted by law, claims must be brought only in your individual capacity—not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. If a court finds this restriction unenforceable as to a particular claim, it is severed for that claim only and the remainder of these Terms remains in effect.

You may not use or export the Service in violation of U.S. export control or sanctions laws. You represent that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. government embargo or designated as a "terrorist supporting" country and are not on any U.S. government list of prohibited or restricted parties.

We are not liable for delay or failure to perform resulting from events beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, network or power failures, or labor disputes.

• Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the policies linked in Section 2, are the entire agreement regarding the Service and supersede prior oral or written understandings.
• Severability. If any provision is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
• No waiver. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.
• Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, or sale of assets.
• Headings. Section headings are for convenience only.

Questions about these Terms: [email protected]

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