Wis. Stat. § 767.215 — WI Code / Chapter 767 / Section 767.215
Initiating action; petition and response.
Status: in_force

(1) Initiation of action.

(a) Either or both of the parties to the marriage may initiate the action. The party initiating the action or his or her attorney shall sign the petition. Both parties or their respective attorneys shall sign a joint petition.

(b) The clerk of court shall provide without charge, to each person filing a petition requesting child support, a document setting forth the percentage standard established by the department under s. 49.22 (9) and listing the factors that a court may consider under s. 767.511 (1m) .

(c) The clerk of court shall provide, without charge, to each person filing a petition showing that the parties have a minor child, a copy of s. 767.41 (1m) or a parenting plan form if a standard form for parenting plans is used in the county.

(2) Petition content. Except as otherwise provided, in an action affecting the family, the petition shall state:

(a) The name and birthdate of the parties, the date and place of marriage, and the facts relating to the residence of both parties.

(b) The name and birthdate of each minor child of the parties and each other child born to the wife during the marriage, and whether the wife is pregnant.

(c) If the relief requested is a divorce or a legal separation in which the parties do not file a petition under s. 767.315 (2) , that the marriage is irretrievably broken, or, alternatively, that both parties agree that the marriage is irretrievably broken.

(cm) If the relief requested is a legal separation and the parties have filed a petition under s. 767.315 (2) , that both parties agree that the marital relationship is broken.

(d) Whether an action for divorce or legal separation by either of the parties has been at any time commenced, or is pending in any other court, in this state or elsewhere.

(dm) Whether either party was previously married and, if so, the manner in which the marriage was terminated, and, if terminated by court judgment, the name of the court that granted the judgment and the time and place the judgment was granted, if known.

(e) Whether the parties have entered into a written agreement as to support, legal custody, and physical placement of the children, maintenance of either party, or property division. If so, the written agreement shall be attached.

(f) The relief requested. If the relief requested is a legal separation, the petition shall state the specific reason for requesting that relief.

(h) That during the pendency of the action, the parties are prohibited from, and may be held in contempt of court for, harassing, intimidating, physically abusing or imposing any restraint on the personal liberty of the other party or a minor child of either party.

(i) If the action is one under s. 767.001 (1) (a) , (b) , (c) , (d) , (h) , or (i) , that during the pendency of the action, without the consent of the other party or an order of the court, the parties are prohibited from, and may be held in contempt of court for, encumbering, concealing, damaging, destroying, transferring, or otherwise disposing of property owned by either or both of the parties, except in the usual course of business, in order to secure necessities, or in order to pay reasonable costs and expenses of the action, including attorney fees.

(j) Unless the action is one under s. 767.001 (1) (g) or (h) , that during the pendency of the action the parties are prohibited from, and may be held in contempt of court for, doing any of the following without the consent of the other party or an order of the court:

1. Relocating and establishing a residence with a minor child of the parties more than 100 driving miles from the residence of the other party.

2. Removing a minor child of the parties from the state for more than 90 consecutive days.

3. Concealing a minor child of the parties from the other party.

(2e) Relationship of petition to complaint. All references to a “complaint” in chs. 801 to 807 apply to petitions under this section.

(2m) Summons, content.

(a) Except as provided in par. (b) , if only one party initiates the action and the parties have minor children, the summons served on the other party:

1. Shall include notification of the availability of information under s. 767.105 (2) and of the contents of s. 948.31 .

2. Shall be accompanied by a document, provided without charge by the clerk of court, setting forth the percentage standard established by the department under s. 49.22 (9) and listing the factors that a court may consider under s. 767.511 (1m) .

3. Shall be accompanied by a copy of s. 767.41 (1m) or a standard parenting plan form used in the county, provided without charge by the clerk of court.

(b) If service is by publication, notification regarding s. 948.31 may consist of references to the statute numbers and titles, and information relating to the percentage standard and the factors and completing and filing parenting plans need not be provided.

(3) Service. If only one party initiates the action, the other shall be served under ch. 801 and may serve a response or counterclaim within 20 days after the date of service, except that questions of jurisdiction may be raised at any time prior to judgment. Service shall be made upon the petitioner, and the original copy of the response shall be filed in court. If the parties together initiate the action with a joint petition, service of summons is not required.

(4) Extension of time for service.

(a) Except as provided in par. (b) and s. 767.815 , extension of time is governed by s. 801.15 (2) .

(b) The court may, upon the petitioner’s demonstration of good cause, and without notice, order one additional 60-day extension for service of the initial papers in the action if the extension motion is made within 90 days after filing the initial papers. If the extension motion is not made within the 90-day period, the court may grant the motion only if it finds excusable neglect for failure to act and good cause shown for granting the extension.

(5) Social security numbers.

(a) Except as provided in par. (am) , when the petition under this section is filed with the court, the party filing the petition shall submit a separate form, furnished by the court, containing all of the following:

1. The name, date of birth, and social security number of each party.

2. The name, date of birth, and social security number of each minor child of the parties and of each child who was born to the wife during the marriage and who is a minor.

(am) In an action to determine the paternity of a child, the party who filed the petition shall submit the form under par. (a) within 5 days after paternity is adjudicated.

(b) A form submitted under this subsection shall be maintained with the confidential information required under s. 767.127 or maintained separately from the case file. The form may be disclosed only to the parties and their attorneys, a county child support enforcement agency, and any other person authorized by law or court order to have access to the information on the form.

History: 1971 c. 220 ; 1977 c. 105 ; 1979 c. 32 ss. 50 , 92 (4) ; 1979 c. 196 ; 1979 c. 352 s. 39 ; Stats. 1979 s. 767.085; 1985 a. 29 ; 1987 a. 332 s. 64 ; 1987 a. 355 , 403 ; 1989 a. 31 , 56 , 132 ; 1993 a. 78 , 481 ; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19) ; 1995 a. 201 , 404 ; 1997 a. 191 ; 2001 a. 61 ; 2005 a. 443 ss. 31 , 46 to 49 , 71 , 83 , 84 ; Stats. 2005 s. 767.215; 2007 a. 187 ; 2011 a. 32 ; 2017 a. 203 ; 2025 a. 81 .