Why Joint Appraisals, Evaluations or Occupational Examinations may benefit you? Upon the filing for a divorce, there are various assets with unknown values to be had between the two of you. As lawyers, we are only licensed to advise you through your divorce in consideration of the benefits and risks of your position for […]
How will my pet be handled in divorce?
Whether it be the family cat, dog, farm animal or some other fur baby, in the face of a divorce, it is currently impossible to duplicate and divide one animal to have an “equal” division of property. In the eyes of the courts, they are essentially deemed in the same respect as any other miscellaneous […]
Maintenance 101
Maintenance, which you may know as spousal support or alimony, is governed by Wisconsin Statute 767.56. Though maintenance awards are determined by a number of statutory factors, judges have quite a lot of discretion in determining whether to award maintenance at all, and if so, how much. The first factor is the length of marriage. […]
What is the difference between a legal separation and a divorce?
There are a couple notable differences between the two, though procedurally, the process of obtaining each is almost identical. Most notably, couples who get a legal separation, rather than a divorce, are not divorced! Still, through the legal separation process, assets and debts will be divided, and an order regarding ongoing finances will be made. […]
Financial Forms 101
Do you have an upcoming initial hearing in your family law case? If so, you are likely tasked with completing either a Financial Disclosure Statement (“FDS”) or an Income and Expense Form (“I/E Form”). The purpose of these court forms is to provide a snapshot of your financial circumstances. By listing your monthly income, expenses, […]
Dealing with Unknown Finances
In a lot of relationships, one party handles financial matters more than the other. This might mean that one spouse files the taxes, pays the bills, decides what investments to make, and so on. Perhaps this person is more financially savvy, this helps with an equal division of labor, or this is just how it […]
He Is Not The Father!
For most individuals, a final divorce hearing is filled with emotions, stress, and the anticlimactic conclusion to a lengthy 120+ day divorce process. For some, it is the end of a relationship, and for others, it is the start of a new chapter. Whether you are looking forward to or dreading the end of your […]
What happens after you or your spouse files for divorce?
At a minimum, there is a 120-day waiting period from the time of filing to the date of divorce. Unless you and your spouse already agree on everything, most cases last substantially longer than 120 days. There is a lot to accomplish from the time of the pleadings to the time of divorce. Namely, the […]
When does my obligation to pay child support end?
It is expected that the judgement of your divorce or pre-existing child support orders would include language requiring that either party wo has a child support obligation to “notify the Child Support Agency and the other party within 10 days of any change of employer and of any substantial change in the amount of his […]
Who shall not marry?
Wis. Stat. 765.02 sets forth the qualifications for individuals seeking to tie the knot. While marrying young has become a less common occurrence, it has not become extinct (See https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/time-series/demo/families-and-households/ms-2.pdf; the average age for first marriage in the United States has been increasing over the past few decades. As of 2024, the average age for men […]