Madison Family Divorce Lawyer 

Comprehensive Family Divorce Services in Wisconsin & Fox River Valley

At Balisle Family Law Legal Counsel, S.C., our divorce lawyers in Madison, Wisconsin, recognize that deciding to end a marriage or coming to terms with a spouse’s decision to end a marriage can be difficult and painful. You will likely have many concerns, especially if you and your spouse are the parents of minor children.

Our top-rated divorce attorneys serving Madison, Wisconsin, have more than seven decades of combined legal experience, and we have dedicated our practice area to divorce and family law.

However, our family law lawyers are equally skilled and comfortable with the option that works best for your family: cooperative divorce, divorce litigation, and various forms of alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and arbitration.

Call Balisle Family Law Legal Services, S.C. at (608) 765-1001 To Learn More Information About Divorce and Other Legal Family Law Services!

Steps to Filing for Divorce in Madison, Wisconsin

The specific steps of getting a divorce under Wisconsin law may differ from case to case, depending on the circumstances. Factors that can affect the details of the divorce process include, for example, whether the divorce is contested, the need for maintenance and whether minor children are involved.

Understanding the Divorce Process in Wisconsin

Generally, the divorce process in Wisconsin follows the following steps:

1. Determining the Type of Divorce Petition

• The type of divorce depends on whether the couple is filing the petition jointly or if one spouse is filing on their own.

2. Requesting Temporary Orders

• It may be necessary for a party to request temporary court orders pending the final hearing. Such orders help preserve the status quo, so either part or their children, if any, do not unnecessarily suffer hardship during the litigation.

3. Filing and Serving the Divorce Petition

• To initiate divorce proceedings, the divorce petition and summons must be filed with the court clerk. Before divorce proceedings can commence, the parties must be served with copies of the summons, petition, and other documents, such as a confidential petition addendum and proposed parenting plan.

4. Completing Required Parenting Programs

• If the parties to a divorce action have minor children between them, they may have to participate in parenting programs and file proposed parenting plans.

5. Scheduling Dates for Hearings

• Some Wisconsin family courts automatically schedule dates for hearings, while others require the parties must proactively contact the family court to schedule hearings.

6. The Final Hearing

• The parties must complete documents for the final divorce hearing, including Proposed Marital Settlement Orders or Marital Settlement Agreements—if applicable--, Financial Disclosure Statements, Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Judgment of Divorce, and a Vital Statistics Form.

7. Finalizing Divorce Documents After the Final Hearing

• Depending on the specifics of your divorce case, it may be necessary to complete documents upon the conclusion of the final hearing. These legal documents may include titles to property, qualified domestic relations orders for distribution of pension plans, change of beneficiaries for life insurance policies, and more.