Wis. Stat. § 813.12 — WI Code / Chapter 813 / Section 813.12
Domestic abuse restraining orders and injunctions.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(ab) “Adult at risk” has the meaning given in s. 55.01 (1e) .

(ad) “Caregiver” means an individual who is a provider of in-home or community care to an individual through regular and direct contact.

(ag) “Dating relationship” means a romantic or intimate social relationship between 2 adult individuals but “dating relationship” does not include a casual relationship or an ordinary fraternization between 2 individuals in a business or social context. A court shall determine if a dating relationship existed by considering the length of the relationship, the type of the relationship, and the frequency of the interaction between the adult individuals involved in the relationship.

(am) “Domestic abuse” means any of the following engaged in by an adult family member or adult household member against another adult family member or adult household member, by an adult caregiver against an adult who is under the caregiver’s care, by an adult against his or her adult former spouse, by an adult against an adult with whom the individual has or had a dating relationship, or by an adult against an adult with whom the person has a child in common:

1. Intentional infliction of physical pain, physical injury or illness.

2. Intentional impairment of physical condition.

3. A violation of s. 940.225 (1) , (2) or (3) .

4. A violation of s. 940.32 .

5. A violation of s. 943.01 , involving property that belongs to the individual.

6. A threat to engage in the conduct under subd. 1. , 2. , 3. , 4. , or 5.

(ar) “Elder person” means any individual who is 60 years of age or older.

(b) “Family member” means a spouse, a parent, a child or a person related by blood or adoption to another person.

(c) “Household member” means a person currently or formerly residing in a place of abode with another person.

(ce) “Household pet” means a domestic animal that is not a farm animal, as defined in s. 951.01 (3) , that is kept, owned, or cared for by the petitioner or by a family member or a household member of the petitioner.

(cg) “Reasonable grounds” means more likely than not that a specific event has occurred or will occur.

(cj) “Regular and direct contact” means face-to-face physical proximity to an individual that is planned, scheduled, expected, or periodic.

(d) “Tribal court” means a court established by any federally recognized Wisconsin Indian tribe or band, except the Menominee Indian tribe of Wisconsin.

(e) “Tribal order or injunction” means a temporary restraining order or injunction issued by a tribal court under a tribal domestic abuse ordinance adopted in conformity with this section.

(2) Commencement of action and response.

(a) No action under this section may be commenced by complaint and summons. An action under this section may be commenced only by a petition described under sub. (5) (a) . The action commences with service of the petition upon the respondent if a copy of the petition is filed before service or promptly after service. If the judge or a circuit court commissioner extends the time for a hearing under sub. (3) (c) and the petitioner files an affidavit with the court stating that personal service by the sheriff or a private server under s. 801.11 (1) (a) or (b) was unsuccessful because the respondent is avoiding service by concealment or otherwise, the judge or circuit court commissioner shall inform the petitioner that he or she may serve the respondent by publication of a summary of the petition as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985 , and by mailing or sending a facsimile if the respondent’s post-office address or facsimile number is known or can with due diligence be ascertained. The mailing or sending of a facsimile may be omitted if the post-office address or facsimile number cannot be ascertained with due diligence. A summary of the petition published as a class 1 notice shall include the name of the respondent and of the petitioner, notice of the temporary restraining order, and notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing regarding the injunction. The court shall inform the petitioner in writing that, if the petitioner chooses to have the documents in the action served by the sheriff, the petitioner should contact the sheriff to verify the proof of service of the petition.

(b) A petition may be filed in conjunction with an action affecting the family commenced under ch. 767 , but commencement of an action affecting the family or any other action is not necessary for the filing of a petition or the issuance of a temporary restraining order or an injunction. A judge or circuit court commissioner may not make findings or issue orders under s. 767.225 or 767.41 while granting relief requested only under this section. Section 813.06 does not apply to an action under this section. The respondent may respond to the petition either in writing before or at the hearing on the issuance of the injunction or orally at that hearing.

(c) When the respondent is served with the petition under this subsection, the person who serves the respondent shall also provide the respondent all of the following information:

1. Notice of the requirements and penalties under s. 941.29 and notice of any similar applicable federal laws and penalties.

2. An explanation of s. 813.1285 , including the procedures for surrendering a firearm and the circumstances listed under s. 813.1285 under which a respondent must appear at a hearing to surrender firearms.

3. A firearm possession form developed under s. 813.1285 (5) (a) , with instructions for completing and returning the form.

(2m) Two-part procedure. Procedure for an action under this section is in 2 parts. First, if the petitioner requests a temporary restraining order the court shall issue or refuse to issue that order. Second, the court shall hold a hearing under sub. (4) on whether to issue an injunction, which is the final relief. If the court issues a temporary restraining order, the order shall set forth the date for the hearing on an injunction. If the court does not issue a temporary restraining order, the date for the hearing shall be set upon motion by either party.

(3) Temporary restraining order.

(a) A judge or circuit court commissioner shall issue a temporary restraining order ordering the respondent to refrain from committing acts of domestic abuse against the petitioner, to avoid the petitioner’s residence, except as provided in par. (am) , or any other location temporarily occupied by the petitioner or both, or to avoid contacting or causing any person other than a party’s attorney or a law enforcement officer to contact the petitioner unless the petitioner consents in writing, to refrain from removing, hiding, damaging, harming, or mistreating, or disposing of, a household pet, to allow the petitioner or a family member or household member of the petitioner acting on his or her behalf to retrieve a household pet, or any combination of these remedies requested in the petition, or any other appropriate remedy not inconsistent with the remedies requested in the petition, if all of the following occur:

1. The petitioner submits to the judge or circuit court commissioner a petition alleging the elements set forth under sub. (5) (a) .

2. The judge or circuit court commissioner finds reasonable grounds to believe that the respondent has engaged in, or based on prior conduct of the petitioner and the respondent may engage in, domestic abuse of the petitioner.

(aj) In determining whether to issue a temporary restraining order, the judge or circuit court commissioner shall consider the potential danger posed to the petitioner and the pattern of abusive conduct of the respondent but may not base his or her decision solely on the length of time since the last domestic abuse or the length of time since the relationship ended. The judge or circuit court commissioner may grant only the remedies requested or approved by the petitioner. The judge or circuit court commissioner may not dismiss or deny granting a temporary restraining order because of the existence of a pending action or of any other court order that bars contact between the parties, nor due to the necessity of verifying the terms of an existing court order.

(am) If the petitioner and the respondent are not married, the respondent owns the premises where the petitioner resides and the petitioner has no legal interest in the premises, in lieu of ordering the respondent to avoid the petitioner’s residence under par. (a) the judge or circuit court commissioner may order the respondent to avoid the premises for a reasonable time until the petitioner relocates and shall order the respondent to avoid the new residence for the duration of the order.

(b) Notice need not be given to the respondent before issuing a temporary restraining order under this subsection. A temporary restraining order may be entered only against the respondent named in the petition.

(c) The temporary restraining order is in effect until a hearing is held on issuance of an injunction under sub. (4) , except that the court may extend the temporary restraining order under s. 813.1285 . The temporary restraining order is not voided if the respondent is admitted into a dwelling that the order directs him or her to avoid. A judge or circuit court commissioner shall hold a hearing on issuance of an injunction within 14 days after the temporary restraining order is issued, unless the time is extended upon the written consent of the parties, extended under s. 801.58 (2m) , or extended once for 14 days upon a finding that the respondent has not been served with a copy of the temporary restraining order although the petitioner has exercised due diligence. A judge or court commissioner may not extend the temporary restraining order in lieu of ruling on the issuance of an injunction.

(d) The judge or circuit court commissioner shall advise the petitioner of the right to serve the respondent the petition by published notice if with due diligence the respondent cannot be served as provided under s. 801.11 (1) (a) or (b) . The clerk of circuit court shall assist the petitioner with the preparation of the notice and filing of the affidavit of printing.

(4) Injunction.

(a) A judge or circuit court commissioner may grant an injunction ordering the respondent to refrain from committing acts of domestic abuse against the petitioner, to avoid the petitioner’s residence, except as provided in par. (am) , or any other location temporarily occupied by the petitioner or both, or to avoid contacting or causing any person other than a party’s attorney or a law enforcement officer to contact the petitioner unless the petitioner consents to that contact in writing, to refrain from removing, hiding, damaging, harming, or mistreating, or disposing of, a household pet, to allow the petitioner or a family member or household member of the petitioner acting on his or her behalf to retrieve a household pet, or any combination of these remedies requested in the petition, or any other appropriate remedy not inconsistent with the remedies requested in the petition, if all of the following occur:

1. The petitioner files a petition alleging the elements set forth under sub. (5) (a) .

2. The petitioner serves upon the respondent a copy or summary of the petition and notice of the time for hearing on the issuance of the injunction, or the respondent serves upon the petitioner notice of the time for hearing on the issuance of the injunction.

3. After hearing, the judge or circuit court commissioner finds reasonable grounds to believe that the respondent has engaged in, or based upon prior conduct of the petitioner and the respondent may engage in, domestic abuse of the petitioner.

(aj) In determining whether to issue an injunction, the judge or circuit court commissioner shall consider the potential danger posed to the petitioner and the pattern of abusive conduct of the respondent but may not base his or her decision solely on the length of time since the last domestic abuse or the length of time since the relationship ended. The judge or circuit court commissioner may grant only the remedies requested by the petitioner. The judge or circuit court commissioner may not dismiss or deny granting an injunction because of the existence of a pending action or of any other court order that bars contact between the parties, nor due to the necessity of verifying the terms of an existing court order.

(am) If the petitioner and the respondent are not married, the respondent owns the premises where the petitioner resides and the petitioner has no legal interest in the premises, in lieu of ordering the respondent to avoid the petitioner’s residence under par. (a) the judge or circuit court commissioner may order the respondent to avoid the premises for a reasonable time until the petitioner relocates and shall order the respondent to avoid the new residence for the duration of the order.

(b) The judge or circuit court commissioner may enter an injunction only against the respondent named in the petition. No injunction may be issued under this subsection under the same case number against the person petitioning for the injunction. The judge or circuit court commissioner may not modify an order restraining the respondent based solely on the request of the respondent.

(c)

1. An injunction under this subsection is effective according to its terms, for the period of time that the petitioner requests, but not more than 4 years, except as provided in par. (d) . An injunction granted under this subsection is not voided if the petitioner allows or initiates contact with the respondent or by the admittance of the respondent into a dwelling that the injunction directs him or her to avoid.

2. When an injunction expires, the court shall extend the injunction if the petitioner states that an extension is necessary to protect him or her. This extension shall remain in effect until 4 years after the date the court first entered the injunction, except as provided in par. (d) .

4. Notice need not be given to the respondent before extending an injunction under subd. 2. The clerk of courts shall notify the respondent after the court extends an injunction under subd. 2.

(d)

1. A judge or circuit court commissioner may, upon issuing an injunction or granting an extension of an injunction issued under this subsection, order that the injunction is in effect for not more than 10 years, if the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence stated on the record, that any of the following is true:

a. There is a substantial risk that the respondent may commit first-degree intentional homicide under s. 940.01 , or 2nd-degree intentional homicide under s. 940.05 , against the petitioner.

b. There is a substantial risk that the respondent may commit sexual assault under s. 940.225 (1) , (2) , or (3) , or under s. 948.02 (1) or (2) , against the petitioner.

1m. Upon request by the petitioner, a judge or circuit court commissioner may order that the injunction is in effect permanently if the respondent has been convicted of a violation of s. 940.225 (1) to (3) in which the petitioner was the crime victim. An order based on a finding under this subdivision is subject to review and modification under s. 813.126 (1m) .

2. This paragraph does not prohibit a petitioner from requesting a new temporary restraining order under sub. (3) or injunction under this subsection before or at the expiration of a previously entered order or injunction.

(4g) Order; telephone services.

(a) Unless a condition described in par. (b) exists, a judge or circuit court commissioner who issues an injunction under sub. (4) may, upon request by the petitioner, order a wireless telephone service provider to transfer to the petitioner the right to continue to use a telephone number or numbers indicated by the petitioner and the financial responsibility associated with the number or numbers, as set forth in par. (c) . The petitioner may request transfer of each telephone number he or she, or a minor child in his or her custody, uses. The order shall contain all of the following:

1. The name and billing telephone number of the account holder.

2. Each telephone number that will be transferred.

3. A statement that the provider transfers to the petitioner all financial responsibility for and right to the use of any telephone number transferred under this subsection. In this subdivision, “financial responsibility” includes monthly service costs and costs associated with any mobile device associated with the number.