Wisconsin

Divorce Residency Requirements To Get Divorce In Wisconsin

To file an online divorce or any other form of divorce in Wisconsin State, at least one of the spouses must have been a resident for at least six months. Also, the spouse must be a resident of the actual county where the divorce is to be filed for at least thirty days before the filing.

Reasons For Divorce In Wisconsin

There is only one recognizable ground for divorce in the State of Wisconsin, which is an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. This covers most reasons that would be considered no-fault and at-fault grounds for divorce in other jurisdictions.

Custody Of The Children In Wisconsin

The court will generally attempt to award joint legal custody, as long as the children’s best interests are preserved. In most cases the court will approve custody arrangements agreed upon by the parents, assuming both parties want to have an active role in raising the child. Further details regarding child custody in Wisconsin will be included in your divorce forms.

Wisconsin Child Support Guidelines

Wisconsin’s child support guidelines apply in nearly every divorce case unless there are exceptional circumstances in play. Both parents’ gross incomes and child related expenses are taken into consideration when calculating the child support obligation. Payments continue until the child reaches at least age 18 and may extend through completion of secondary education in some cases.

Venue

Divorce in the state of Wisconsin must be filed in the county where the defendant lives and legally resides. If the defendant lives out of state, the divorce may be recorded in any county of the state chosen by the plaintiff.

Divorce Mediation

Every county in Wisconsin offers mediation services for issues that are contested in potential divorces. Custody issues, in particular, may be referred for mediation by either party or by the court. If there are disputed issues, either spouse may file a motion requesting arbitration. Any or all problems may be brought before a mediator before divorce proceedings are recorded. Utilizing mediation for matters that are troubling one or both parties is one way that a potential divorce could be shifted from a contested to an uncontested action, potentially making it more affordable and easy to file online using a DIY divorce service like Divorce.com.

Filing Fees

The local court fees are in addition to the costs of using Divorce.com. This filing fee does vary from county to county. To find out the exact amount, we provide an easy way to look up the filing fees for your area. This ensures that you have a clear picture of all expenses specific to your situation before moving forward.