Wisconsin Divorce Information and
FAQ
The only ground upon which divorce is granted in the State of Wisconsin
is an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage of which there is no
reasonable prospect of reconciliation. Statute 767.07
Residency requirements At least one of the parties to the divorce
action must have resided in Wisconsin for at least six months and the
county of filing for at least thirty days prior to the commencement of the
action. 767.05
Where to File The petition for divorce may be filed in the county where
either spouse resides. 767.05
Name of Court and Title of Action/Parties An action for divorce is
filed in the Circuit Court. The title of the action initiating the divorce
proceeding is a Petition, while the title of the order granting the
divorce is the Decree. The party initiating the action is referred to as
the Petitioner and the other party is the Respondent. If the action is
filed jointly, both parties are referred to as Co-Petitioners. 767.05
Waiting Period Wisconsin law provides that no divorce shall issue until
120 days have elapsed from either the time the defendant is served with
the summons, or from the date of filing of a joint petition. 767.083 Legal
Separation Wisconsin permits a judgment of legal separation on the same
grounds as for an action for divorce. 767.07
Mediation Requirements If child custody is a contested issue in a
divorce action in Wisconsin, the court will require the parties to submit
to mediation. The court may also require parties requesting joint
custodial arrangements to submit to mediation and/or an educational
program on the effects of divorce on children. 767.11
Alimony/Support The court may order either party to pay the other
spouse alimony without regard to fault. Factors the court will consider in
determining the amount and duration of the award of support include such
things as:
1. The financial resources of the party seeking support; 2. The time
necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the person
seeking support to find appropriate employment; 3. The standard of living
established during the marriage; 4. The duration of the marriage; 5. The
contribution of each spouse to the marriage; 6. The age, physical and
emotional condition of the spouse seeking support, and; 7. The ability of
the payor spouse to meet his needs while meeting the needs of the spouse
seeking support. 767.26 » Return to top Distribution of Property In an
action for divorce, the court will first set aside to each spouse that
spouse’s separate property. The court will then distribute the marital
property following the presumption that all marital property should be
divided equally. Some of the factors the court will consider in altering
the equal distribution of the marital property include: 1. The
contribution of each spouse to the acquisition of the marital property; 2.
The value of each spouse’s separate property; 3. The duration of the
marriage and; 4. The age and health of the parties; 5. The amount and
sources of income of each party; 6. The standard of living established
during the marriage. 7. Any other relevant factor. 767.255 Child Custody
The court will determine custody based upon the best interests of the
child. It is presumed that joint custody is in the child’s best
interests. Some of the factors the court will consider in making the
custody determination include:
1. The wishes of the child; 2. The wishes of the parents 3. The
interaction of the child with his parents and siblings; 4. The child’s
adjustment to his home, school and community, 5. Whether one parent is
likely to unreasonably interfere with the child’s relationship with the
other parent, and; 6. Any other relevant factor.
If custody is contested, the court will require each parent to submit a
parenting plan providing the court details regarding such things as:
1. The type of custodial arrangement the parent is seeking 2. Where the
parent currently lives and where that parent intends to live for the next
two years 3. Where the parent works and hours of employment 4. Child care
5. The school the child will attend 6. Medical expenses 7. Visitation 8.
Dispute resolution. 767.24 » Return to top Child Support Either or both
parents may be required to pay an amount reasonable to support a child of
the marriage. Wisconsin has established child support guidelines which
serve as the presumed correct amount of support to be paid. Some of the
factors the court will consider in deviating from the guidelines include:
1. The financial resources of the child; 2. The financial resources of the
parents; 3. The financial needs of each party; 4. The standard of living
the child would have enjoyed had the marriage continued; 5. The age,
education, and physical and mental health of the child, and; 6. Any other
relevant factor. 767.25
Name change Upon request, the court may order that the wife’s maiden
or former name be restored. 767.20
Abbotsford Abrams Adams Adell Afton Alban
Albany Albertville Alden Algoma Allenton Allouez Alma Alma Center Almena
Almond Altdorf Altoona Alvin Amberg Amery Amherst Amherst Junction
Angelica Aniwa Antigo Apostle Islands National Lak Appleton Arbor Vitae
Arcadia Arena Argonne Argyle Arkansaw Arkdale Arland Arlington Armstrong
Creek Arnott Arpin Ashippun Ashland Ashley Ashwaubenon Athelstane Athens
Atwood Auburndale Augusta Auroraville Avalon Avoca Babcock Bad River
Indian Reservation Bagley Baileys Harbor Bakerville Baldwin Balsam Lake
Bancroft Bangor Baraboo Barnes Barneveld Barre Mills Barron Barronett
Bassett Bateman Bay City Bay Mills Bay View Bayfield Bayside Bayview Bear
Creek Beaver Beaver Dam Beecher Beetown Beldenville Belgium Bell Center
Belleville Bellevue Belmont Beloit Benet Lake Bennett Benoit Benton Berlin
Bethel Bevent Big Bend Big Falls Big Flats Birch Birchwood Birnamwood
Biron Black Brook Black Creek Black Earth Black River Falls Blackwell
Blair Blanchardville Blenker Blk Riv Falls Bloom City Bloomer Bloomingdale
Bloomington Bloomville Blue Mounds Blue River Boardman Boaz Bonduel
Boscobel Boulder Junction Bowler Boyceville Boyd Brackett Brandon
Brantwood Briggsville Brill Brillion Bristol Brodhead Brokaw Brookfield
Brooklyn Brooks Brookville Brown Deer Brownsville Browntown Bruce Brule
Brussels Bryant Buena Vista Buffalo City Burkhardt Burlington Burnett
Butler Butte des Morts Butternut Byron Cable Cadott Cady Caledonia Cambria
Cambridge Cameron Camp Douglas Camp Lake Camp McCoy Campbell Campbellsport
Canton Carey Caroline Carson Carter Caryville Cascade Casco Cashton
Cassian Cassville Cataract Catawba Cato Cavour Cayuga Cazenovia Cecil
Cedar Cedar Falls Cedar Grove Cedar Rapids Cedarburg Center Valley
Centerville Centuria Chaseburg Chelsea Chenequa Chetek Chili Chilton
Chippewa Falls Christie City Point Clam Falls Clam Lake Clark Clayton
Clear Lake Clearwater Lake Cleghorn Cleveland Clifton Clinton Clintonville
Cloverland Clyman Cobb Cochrane Coddington Colby Coleman Colfax Colgate
Collins Coloma Columbus Combined Locks Comstock Connorsville Conover
Conrath Coon Valley Cornell Corning Cornucopia Cosy Valley Cottage Grove
Couderay Crandon Cream Crescent Crivitz Cross Plains Cuba City Cudahy
Cumberland Curtiss Cushing Custer Cutler Cylon Dairyland Dale Dallas
Dalton Danbury Dancy Dane Darien Darlington De Forest De Pere De Soto Deer
Creek Deer Park Deerbrook Deerfield Delafield Delavan Dellwood Delta
Denmark Deronda Dewey Dexterville Diamond Bluff Dickeyville Dodge
Dodgeville Donald Dorchester Dousman Downing Downsville Doylestown Dresser
Drummond Dunbar Durand Dyckesville Eagle Eagle Point Eagle River Eagleton
East Ellsworth East Farmington East Troy Eastman Eaton Eau Claire Eau
Galle Eau Pleine Eden Edgar Edgerton Edgewater Edmund Edson Egg Harbor
Eisenstein El Paso Eland Elcho Elderon Eldorado Eleva Elk Elk Creek Elk
Mound Elkhart Lake Elkhorn Ellis Ellison Bay Ellsworth Elm Grove Elmwood
Elroy Elton Embarrass Emerald Endeavor Ephraim Erin Erin Prairie Esadore
Lake Ettrick Eureka Eureka Center Evansville Exeland Fairchild Fairwater
Fall Creek Fall River Farmington Fdl Fence Fennimore Fenwood Ferryville
Fifield Fish Creek Fitchburg Florence Fond du Lac Fontana Footville Forest
Junction Forestville Fort Atkinson Fort McCoy Foster Fountain City Fox
Lake Fox Point Foxboro Francis Creek Franklin Franksville Franzen Frederic
Fredonia Freedom Fremont French Island Friendship Friesland Galesville
Galloway Gays Mills Genesee Depot Genoa Genoa City Germantown Gile Gillett
Gilman Gilmanton Gleason Glen Flora Glen Haven Glenbeulah Glendale
Glenwood City Glidden Goodman Goodnow Goodrich Gordon Gotham Grafton Grand
Chute Grand Marsh Grand Rapids Grand View Granton Grantsburg Gratiot Green
Bay Green Grove Green Lake Green Valley Greenbush Greendale Greenfield
Greenleaf Greenville Greenwood Gresham Gurney Hackett Hager City Halder
Hales Corners Hallie Hamburg Hammond Hancock Hannibal Hanover Hansen
Hansen Road Harding Harrison Harshaw Hartford Hartland Hatfield Hatley
Haugen Haven Hawkins Hawthorne Hayward Hazel Green Hazelhurst Heafford
Junction Helenville Hendren Herbster Hersey Hertel Hewitt High Bridge
Highland Hilbert Hiles Hillpoint Hillsboro Hillsdale Hingham Hixton Hoard
Hobart Hofa Park Hogarty Holcombe Hollandale Hollister Holmen Honey Creek
Horicon Hortonville Houlton Howard Howards Grove Hubertus Hudson Hull
Humbird Hunting Huntington Hurley Hustisford Hustler Independence Ingram
Institute Iola Irma Iron Belt Iron Ridge Iron River Isaar Island Lake
Ixonia Jackson Jacksonport Janesville Jefferson Jeffris Jersey City Jewett
Jim Falls Joel Johnson Creek Jordan Juda Jump River Junction City Juneau
Kaiser Kansasville Kaukauna Kellner Kellnersville Kelly Kendall Kennan
Kenosha Keshena Kewaskum Kewaunee Kiel Kieler Kimball Kimberly King
Kingston Kinnickinnic Knapp Knowles Knowlton Kohler Krakow Kronenwetter
Kunesh La Crosse La Farge La Pointe La Valle Lac Courte Oreilles Indian R
Lac du Flambeau Lac du Flambeau Reservation Lacrosse Ladysmith Lafayette
Lake Lake Delton Lake Emily Lake Geneva Lake George Lake Hallie Lake
Holcombe Lake Mills Lake Nebagamon Lake Tomahawk Lake Wazeecha Lake
Windsor Lake Wissota Laketown Lakewood Lancaster Land O Lakes Langes
Corner Lannon Larsen Lebanon Lena Leopolis Lewis Lily Lime Ridge Linden
Lindsey Linwood Lisbon Little Black Little Chicago Little Chute Little
Falls Little Suamico Livingston Lodi Loganville Lohrville Lomira Lone Rock
Long Lake Longwood Loomis Loretta Lostcreek Lowell Loyal Lublin Luck Luger
Lugerville Luxemburg Lymantown Lyndon Station Lynn Lynxville Lyons Madison
Maiden Rock Malone Manawa Manchester Manitowish Waters Manitowoc Maple
Maple Bluff Maplehurst Maplewood Marathon Marathon City Marengo Maribel
Marinette Marion Markesan Markton Marquette Marshall Marshfield Martell
Mason Mather Mattoon Mauston Mayville Mazomanie McFarland McMillan
McNaughton Medford Medina Mellen Melrose Menasha Menekaunee Menomonee
Falls Menomonie Mequon Mercer Merrill Merrillan Merrimac Merton Middle
Inlet Middle Ridge Middleton Mikana Milan Milladore Millston Milltown
Milton Milw Milwaukee Milwke Mindoro Mineral Point Minocqua Minong
Mishicot Modena Moeville Mole Lake Mondovi Monico Monona Monona Grove
Monroe Monroe Center Montello Montfort Monticello Montreal Moon Moquah
Morris Morrisonville Morse Mosinee Mount Calvary Mount Hope Mount Horeb
Mount Sterling Mountain Mukwonago Muscoda Muskego Nashotah Nashville
Navarino Necedah Neenah Neillsville Nekoosa Nelma Nelson Nelsonville
Neopit Neosho Neshkoro Neva Corners New Auburn New Berlin New Franken New
Glarus New Haven New Holstein New Johannesburg New Lisbon New London New
Munster New Post New Richmond Newald Newburg Newburg Corners Newton
Niagara Nichols Norrie North Fond du Lac North Freedom North Hudson North
Lake North Menomonie North Prairie North Woods Beach Northfield Norwalk
Nye Oak Creek Oak Grove Oakdale Oakfield Oconomowoc Oconto Oconto Falls
Ocontofalls Odanah Ogdensburg Ogema Ojibwa Okauchee Oma Omro Onalaska
Oneida Oneida Indian Reservation Ontario Oostburg Oregon Orfordville
Osceola Oshkosh Osseo Owen Oxford Packwaukee Paddock Lake Padus Palmyra
Pardeeville Park Falls Park Ridge Parrish Patch Grove Pearson Pelican
Pelican Lake Pell Lake Pembine Pence Pensaukee Pepin Peplin Perkinstown
Peshtigo Pewaukee Phelps Phillips Phlox Pickerel Pickett Pigeon Falls Pine
River Pittsville Plain Plainfield Platteville Pleasant Lake Pleasant
Prairie Pleasant Valley Plover Plum City Plum Lake Plymouth Polar Polley
Polonia Poniatowski Poplar Popple River Port Edwards Port Washington Port
Wing Portage Porterfield Poskin Post Lake Potawatomi Indian Reservatio
Potosi Potter Pound Powers Lake Poy Sippi Poynette Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Sac Prairie Farm Pray Preble Prentice Prescott Presque Isle
Princeton Pulaski Pulcifer Racine Radisson Randolph Random Lake Range
Readfield Readstown Red Cliff Red Cliff Indian Reservation Redgranite
Redville Reedsburg Reedsville Reeseville Reeve Remington Rewey Rhinelander
Rib Falls Rib Lake Rib Mountain Rice Lake Richardson Richfield Richford
Richland Center Richmond Ridgeland Ridgeway Ringle Rio Rio Creek Riplinger
Ripon River Falls River Hills Roberts Rochester Rock Falls Rock Springs
Rockfield Rockland Rome Rosendale Rosholt Rothschild Rozellville Rubicon
Rudolph Rush River Rusk Saint Cloud Saint Croix Falls Saint Francis Saint
Germain Saint Joseph Saint Nazianz Salem Salvatorian Center Sanborn Sand
Creek Sandlake Sarona Sauk City Saukville Saxeville Saxon Sayner
Scandinavia Schley Schofield Scott Seneca Seneca Corners Seneca Cors
Sevastopol Sextonville Seymour Sharon Shawano Sheboygan Sheboygan Falls
Shelby Sheldon Shell Lake Shepley Sherman Sherry Sherwood Shiocton
Shorewood Shorewood Hills Shullsberg Shullsburg Silver Cliff Silver Lake
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Grove Solon Springs Somers Somerset Soperton South Beaver Dam South Byron
South Chase South Fork South Milwaukee South Range South Wayne Sparta
Spencer Spirit Falls Split Rock Spokeville Spooner Spring Green Spring
Valley Springbrook Springfield Springstead Stangelville Stanley Stanton
Star Lake Star Prairie Starks Starlake Stella Sterling Stetsonville
Steuben Stevens Point Stiles Stitzer Stockbridge Stockbridge Indian
Reservati Stockholm Stockton Stoddard Stone Lake Stoughton Stratford Strum
Sturgeon Bay Sturtevant Suamico Sugar Camp Sullivan Summit Summit Lake Sun
Prairie Superior Suring Sussex Tannery Taycheedah Taylor Theresa
Thiensville Thornton Thorp Three Lakes Tigerton Tilden Tilleda Tipler
Tisch Mills Tomah Tomahawk Tony Townsend Trade Lake Trego Trempealeau
Trevor Trimbelle Tripoli Troy Tunnel City Turtle Lake Tustin Twin Lakes
Two Rivers Ubet Underhill Union Center Union Grove Unity Upson Valders
Valmy Van Dyne Veedum Vernon Verona Vesper Victory Viola Viroqua Wabeno
Waldo Wales Walworth Wanderoos Warren Warrens Wascott Washburn Washington
Washington Island Waterford Waterloo Watertown Waubeka Waukau Waukesha
Waumandee Waunakee Waupaca Waupun Wausau Wausaukee Wautoma Wauwatosa
Wauzeka Wawatosa Wayside Webb Lake Webster Wentworth West Allis West
Baraboo West Bend West Lima West Milwaukee West Salem Westbend Westboro
Westby Westfield Weston Westport Weurtsburg Weyauwega Weyerhaeuser Wheeler
Whitcomb White Lake Whitefish Bay Whitehall Whitelaw Whitewater Whiting
Whittlesey Wild Rose Wildwood Willard Williams Bay Wilmot Wilson Wilton
Winchester Wind Lake Windsor Winnebago Winneconne Winter Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Rapids Withee Wittenberg Wolfcreek Wonewoc Woodboro Woodford
Woodland Woodman Woodruff Woodville Woodworth Worcester Wrightstown
Wyalusing Wyeville Wyocena Yellow Lake York Yuba Zachow
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