Divorce is a very emotional process, and it is also very confusing. Most people find the legalities of divorce too difficult to handle on their own, and you will likely have many questions throughout the process. Below are the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) surrounding divorce and the answers to them. If you are going through a divorce and have additional questions, it is important to consult an experienced divorce lawyer who can answer them.

What Are the Grounds for Divorce in Wisconsin?

People in Wisconsin can only file a no-fault divorce. Under no-fault divorce laws, one person must simply state that the marriage is irretrievably broken. This means that there is no chance the spouses will reconcile. One way to show that the marriage is irretrievably broken is for the spouses to live separate and apart from each other for 12 months. 

Family law can be quite complicated, especially when you are facing a divorce and you have children. In fact, when dealing with a divorce in your family, one of the more consequential and important parts of the divorce process is the determination of child support. Based on the child’s custody type, either sole or shared, as well as a state-dictated percentage of one or both parents’ incomes, the calculation of child support can become rather challenging. Worse yet, if you do not entirely understand the process or you are not paying close enough attention, the calculation of child support in your case might be unfair and inequitable to both you and even your child. Here are some telltale signs that the child support payments might not be fair enough.

3 Signs Your Child Support Determination in Wisconsin Might Not Be Fair

If you have a feeling that something is not quite right about your child support agreement, follow that instinct. If any of them seem apparent to you, enlist the assistance of an experienced lawyer who can help you make the child support payments fairer for you and your child. Keep vigilant and watch out for these warning signs during the proceedings:

In many marriages, it is not uncommon to have some degree of inequality when it comes to the education, career, or income between the spouses. In many households, one spouse is considered the “breadwinner” while the other spouse’s income is considered supplementary. When you get divorced, those two incomes are no longer combined and both spouses must live off their own incomes. However, this is not always fair to both spouses, which is where spousal support comes in. Spousal maintenance payments can be awarded to a spouse if the couple agrees upon an amount or if the judge deems maintenance to be necessary. However, the amount of maintenance that is originally ordered is not always the correct amount that is needed over time. In some cases, you may be able to ask for a modification to your spousal maintenance order.

Awarding Spousal Maintenance Payments

When a couple gets a divorce in Wisconsin, they have the option to agree on a spousal maintenance amount. Spousal maintenance is not a guarantee in any divorce, though the judge will examine a variety of factors when deciding if maintenance is necessary, including:

For the most part, the divorce process itself is not difficult; if a couple has only been married for a couple of years, does not have children, and does not have many assets, the process could be completed in a matter of weeks. However, most divorcing couples have been married for at least a couple of years, meaning they are more likely to have gathered and intermingled more assets, which can make the divorce process longer and much more tedious. The more assets you and your spouse have to deal with, the more complex your divorce case will become. High asset divorces bring their own set of issues and difficulties to the process. Below are a few of the most common mistakes that couples make during a high asset divorce in Wisconsin. 

1. Not Investigating for Possible Hidden Assets

One of the requirements at the beginning of the divorce process is that both you and your spouse fully disclose all of your financial assets. However, not everyone is truthful when it comes to disclosing their assets. It is illegal for your spouse to intentionally hide assets from you, as Wisconsin law states marital assets should be divided on a 50/50 basis.

After the excitement of Christmas has settled and the year finally comes to a close, many people use this time to reflect on the past 365 days and how they can improve themselves. The majority of people end up going with the ever-popular New Year’s resolution, whose goals range widely, from living a healthier lifestyle to spending more time with family. For recently divorced or separated parents, the beginning of a new year is as good a time as any to make a commitment to be the best parent you can be. Making a plan and sticking to it can be an effective way to improve your co-parenting relationship with your child’s other parent. Here are a few strategies and tips for the New Year to help you and your co-parent work together, rather than against one another:

• Keep your conversations focused around the children. One of the most difficult things to do after the divorce is to separate your feelings about the divorce from your attitude and behavior when it comes to co-parenting. Instead of focusing on the pain or negatives, stay focused on what matters -- your children. Remember, everything you do when it comes to co-parenting should be for your kids, with their best interests in mind.

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