Emilia G. Frigo, Family Law Attorney

Email address:
Phone: (319) 363-8199

I’ve always wanted to help families. Growing up, I thought I wanted to be a teacher and work directly with children. Over the years I realized that I derive a sense of accomplishment from helping individuals and families work through some of the harder aspects of family life: divorce, child custody, domestic abuse, visitation and all other matters related to being a family. Since entering law school at the University of Iowa, I knew I wanted to work in family law. I spent two years working as a research assistant to my family law professor, an expert in her field. Through my studies I developed an interest in creating long-lasting and creative solutions to issues that affect families, rather than sticking to basic templates and boilerplate answers. This allows me to help families find solutions to their problems based on their unique and individual qualities. For example, each family’s custody schedule should be specific to its needs, not just pulled from a predetermined list.

I moved frequently in my youth, and lived in Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, England, and Italy, all before moving to Iowa for law school. For my undergraduate degree I attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where I studied intensive international studies and Italian. My unique background gave me the opportunity to meet countless people and get to know the various family structures that exist across many cultures. This background taught me to listen without judgment. I have an open mind regarding family life, as I know each family operates differently and tries to do what is best for their particular situation. My goal as an attorney is to make sure that I understand my client’s unique wants and needs and that my clients understand the process and their unique wants and needs are addressed throughout the proceedings. I consider it an honor to be trusted with each case, as I know these are deeply personal matters that require special care and empathy, along with legal knowledge.

Now proud to call Cedar Rapids my home, I love getting to know my community, and I try to make a positive impact every way I can. After work, I spend my free time with my pets and volunteering with animal shelters and rescues.

Areas of Practice

• Family Law
  • Separation
  • Alimony
  • Child support
  • Civil Domestic abuse
  • Child Custody
  • Visitation
  • Contempt/Show Cause
  • Paternity
  • Step- Parent Adoption

• Divorce
  • Dissolution of Marriage with Children
  • Alimony
  • Contempt/Show Cause
  • Civil Domestic abuse
  • Pre-nuptial agreement/pre-marital agreements
  • Modifications to Child Custody Agreements
  • Modification of Child Support
  • Modification of Child Custody
  • Child Visitation

Admitted to Practice

• Iowa, 2026

Education

• University of Iowa College of Law, Juris Doctorate, 2026
• Baylor University, B.A. in Intensive International Studies and Italian, 2021

Professional Memberships

• Iowa State Bar Association
• Linn County Bar Association