In addition to satisfying residency requirements for the spouses in a military divorce, the Wisconsin divorce court must also have jurisdiction over the children. Wisconsin is one of 49 states that adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). This law establishes the proper state to handle issues of child custody and placement. […]
Jurisdiction and residence in a Wisconsin military divorce: Blog #2
Wisconsin, as most states, recognizes a distinction between “residence” and “domicile.” It is important to know this distinction to ensure that Wisconsin is the correct jurisdiction to file a military divorce. “Residence” and “domicile” may be the same place, but not always. “Residence” usually means the place where a party lives at a specific time. […]
Jurisdiction and residence in a Wisconsin military divorce: Blog #1
Given the nomadic existence of some military families, it is not always easy to choose the right state to file for divorce. If the husband entered the military in Wisconsin, the marriage occurred in Texas, the children were born in California, the husband deployed to Iraq, and the mother and children moved back to Wisconsin, […]
Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act: Blog #4
This is the last installment of our blog specifically focusing on the SCRA and its effect on Wisconsin military divorces. Previous blogs in this series addressed the relief available for servicemembers and their spouses when a divorce or child custody act is pending. Following are miscellaneous sections of the Act that be relevant in a […]
New Wisconsin appeals divorce case addresses division of military retired pay.
I have often spoken and written about the vital importance of military spouses and their divorce lawyers ensuring that divorce judgments dividing military retired pay are properly and completely executed. The recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals case of Schwab v. Schwab 20 Ct App 40 is yet another example of the serious consequences when this […]
Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act–blog series #3
The first two blogs in this series addressed a request for a stay in a divorce, and a potential default judgment. This blog #3 will discuss how the civilian spouse can oppose a request for stay. A stay (or pause) in the case may cause serious problems for the spouse. Lack of child or spousal […]
Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act in Wisconsin-Blog series #2
Blog #1 in this serious addressed the background of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the servicemember’s ability to request a stay, or pause, in a divorce or family law case. Blog #2 will discuss the possibility of a default judgment against the servicemember if he/she does not participate in the case at all. […]
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act in Wisconsin Divorce-Blog Series #1
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is a federal law that can have important consequences in a Wisconsin divorce case. All family lawyers handling divorce, paternity, or child-related matters should be aware of at least the Act’s basic rules. I will dedicate a series of blogs on this topic to clarify the Act. The first […]
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act in Wisconsin Divorce-Blog Series #1
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is a federal law that can have important consequences in a Wisconsin divorce case. All family lawyers handling divorce, paternity, or child-related matters should be aware of at least the Act’s basic rules. I will dedicate a series of blogs on this topic to clarify the Act. The first […]
“Frozen Benefit Rule” in Wisconsin military divorce
All states permit the division of a servicemember’s military retired pay in divorce. Not all states handled the division the same way, however. Some states assume that the entire benefit is divided between the former spouses, some separate out the portion earned by the servicemember prior to marriage (often through a calculation known as a […]