Maintenance, sometimes known as alimony or spousal support, can be awarded by the court in proceedings related to divorce, annulment, or legal separation. Maintenance has two objectives: to support the recipient in according with the needs and earning capacities of the parties, and to ensure a fair and equitable financial agreement between them. Its purpose […]
Temporary Orders
Filing for divorce or legal separation can result in a lot of changes taking place within a very short time. Often, at the time of filing, the parties live together, and a decision must be made about who remains living in the marital residence. The parties to a divorce or separation may share expenses and […]
Removal of a Child Out of State
Parents with shared physical placement of their children, should keep in mind the laws establishing requirements of notice. Wisconsin Statute 767.481 provides rules concerning how to give proper notice in cases in which a parent wishes to move a child either 150 miles away from the other parent or out of state. The moving parent […]
Domestic Violence and Custody Determinations
For initial determinations of custody in a divorce, Wisconsin law states that the court must presume that it is in the best interests of a child for the child’s parents to have joint legal custody, or decision-making power. In other words, the State believes that it is best, by default, for children to have significant […]
Wisconsin Grandparent visitation
Wisconsin grandparent visitation is an option for grandparents who have developed close relationships with their grandchildren. Divorcing parents sometimes try to prevent grandparents from seeing or spending time with grandchildren. This can be frustrating to grandparents who want to remain an important part of their grandchildren’s lives. Wisconsin grandparents visitation is a complex issue. However, recent changes […]
Property Division in Wisconsin Divorce
Many questions arise from property division in Wisconsin divorce. Clients often wish to retain possession of certain items of personal property, from furniture to bank accounts to pets. Sometimes, people have an idea that property should be divided in a certain way, because “he cheated on me,” or because “she was the one who wanted the […]
Wisconsin child support modification
A Wisconsin child support modification is possible if there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the most recent order. If you and your child’s other parent cannot agree that the child support order should be changed, the judge will rule whether a substantial change in circumstances has occurred. If the judge finds that there has […]
Wisconsin military divorce-military retired pay
Wisconsin military divorce benefits are often the single most valuable asset when a couple separates. It is extremely important to understand and properly allocate the military retired pay. Depending on the servicemember’s length of service and other factors, the value of military retired pay may be well over $100,000. In order to divide this benefit, it must […]
What is a guardian ad litem in a Wisconsin divorce?
If you are in the midst of a court action regarding Wisconsin divorce, paternity, legal custody, physical placement and/or child support, you may already have experience working with a guardian ad litem (GAL). Many people have probably heard of guardians ad litem but aren’t sure what they do. Although their names sound similar, it is important […]
Wisconsin divorce vs. legal separation
The differences between Wisconsin divorce and legal separation can be subtle and sometimes hard to figure out. Both require filing similar paperwork with the court, notice to the other party, and a 120-day waiting period. At the end of the process, you receive a court order that outlines custody and placement of minor children, support, and property division. […]