A new chelating ion-exchange copolymer was prepared using the polycondensation of 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, acrylamide and formaldehyde in a 1: 1: 2 proportion. The copolymer produced was widely characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray (XRD), elemental analysis, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of the molecular weight. The identification of the successful formation of the copolymer and the presence of functional groups that were able to coordinate with metal ions was proven by the spectral and analytical findings. The ion-exchange ability of the synthesized copolymer was tested against the removal of Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Pb²⁺ ions in aqueous solutions using the batch equilibrium technique. The influence of the concentration of the electrolytes and the pH and the contact time on the adsorption of metal ions was systematically studied. The findings showed that the copolymer had a high adsorption capacity and selectivity to the toxic metal ions especially Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺, because of the presence of hydroxyl and amino functional group, which formed stable chelate complexes. The resulting copolymer was found to have a high potential of being an effective and reusable ion-exchange material in the removal of dangerous metal ions in the polluted water systems.