Iowa. R. Civ. P. 1.509
COMMENT:
Rule 1.509(1)(c). The rule mirrors Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 33(b)(3) and (4) in requiring that objections to interrogatories be specific and providing that any ground not raised in a timely objection is waived. The rule further allows a party to respond to an interrogatory subject to an objection without waiving that objection. In such cases, however, the responding party must clearly indicate whether any responsive information is being withheld subject to the objection.
COMMENT:
Rule 1.509(4). Parties are encouraged to use supreme court-approved pattern discovery when appropriate. A party may use one or more pattern interrogatories that are part of an approved set of pattern interrogatories. Any approved pattern interrogatory is counted as one interrogatory in determining the total number of permissible interrogatories, regardless of the number of subparts or multiple inquiries within the interrogatory. In contrast, each discrete subpart of a nonpattern interrogatory will count as a separate interrogatory. A party may combine pattern interrogatories with other interrogatories, subject to applicable limitations as to number. A party should not serve pattern interrogatories that have no application to the case.
COMMENT: The requirement to file answers or objections, absent court order, is eliminated. Notices of serving interrogatories are abolished. Rule 1.509(2) adds to the permissible scope of interrogatories the amounts claimed for items of damages approved by the court in Gordon v. Noel, 356 N.W. 2d 559 (Iowa 1984), and the addresses of trial witnesses.