Milwaukee County Divorce Attorneys

Once divorce papers are filed, there is a 120 day waiting period until the divorce can be finalized. During that time, you may request a temporary order hearing to help you and your spouse decided how to handle finances, child placement and support, and property division until the trial.

First, decide if you and your spouse want to file jointly or separately. If you file separately, you must serve your spouse divorce papers within 90 days of filing. The appropriate forms can be found on the Wisconsin Court Systems website.

A simple divorce, or an uncontested divorce, is when you and your spouse agree on the issues raised by the divorce. The average cost of an uncontested divorce in Wisconsin ranges from $1,500 to $3,000.

Wisconsin is a no-fault divorce state. Only one spouse must believe that the marriage is irretrievably broken for the divorce to move forward.

Wisconsin has a mandatory 120-day waiting period to finalize a divorce. However, a typical divorce can take 6-12 months to finalize or longer if the divorce has contested issues.

Modifications usually cost at least $1,000. In order to get a modification, you will have to prove that circumstances have changed.

Hiring a divorce mediator can cost anywhere from $800-$3,500. Costs will vary depending on whether you mediator charges a flat rate or hourly rate, how many sessions you decide to do, and what type of qualifications your mediator has.

If you want sole custody of your child, you must present compelling evidence to the court. One parent may be awarded sole custody if the relationship between spouses is high-conflict, and they are unable to make the decisions needed in a joint custody situation.

Child support in Wisconsin is calculated based on parental income, the amount of time a child spends with each parent, and whether a parent is supporting other children. Percentage of income for child support is based on the number of children being supported.

Child support can be modified if both parents agree to a new payment amount and file a Stipulation and Order to Amend Judgement form with the office of their County Clerk of Court. Child support can also be changed by the court if there is a significant change in circumstances.