Milwaukee lawyers solving child custody, placement and visitation issues in Wisconsin
Often child custody and placement (visitation) are the most contentious issues facing couples going through a divorce or involved in paternity proceedings. Having a skilled advocate, who is knowledgeable in the governing statutes and placement and custody laws in Wisconsin, is often of paramount importance and the best tool any party can have on their side in a custody and placement dispute. The experienced Wisconsin child custody and placement lawyers in Milwaukee at Gamino Law Offices, LLC can help! Our family law attorneys devise creative solutions to resolve or litigate custody or placement disputes. We are familiar with family courts and judges and are ready to represent parents in custody and placement issues in Milwaukee, or anywhere in Wisconsin.
Quick Guide to Placement & Custody
- What is legal custody?
- How do joint legal custody and sole legal custody differ?
- What is physical placement?
- Is it true that the law requires that each parent have equal placement?
- Which decisions are considered routine daily decisions?
- How do custody and placement issues get resolved?
- What are my rights to information about my children?
- What happens if the other parent won’t let me see our children?
- Will the court do anything about my concerns about the other parent or stepparent?
- What happens if I refuse to let the other parent see our children?
- What happens if the other parent does not take our children as provided in the order?
- Can I move with the children?
- How do I change an existing order?
What is legal custody?
Legal custody denotes the legal right to make major decisions about your children. Major decisions cover matters such as non-emergency health care and choice of school and religion. Other major decisions include parental consent to marry, obtain a driver’s license, or join the military. Legal custody can be joint or sole. Specifically, custody means who decides. However, custody does not mean where the children live. Where a child lives is placement. Our Milwaukee based Wisconsin child custody and placement lawyers can explain the difference and get you the results you need.
How do joint legal custody and sole legal custody differ?
Joint legal custody means both parents have equal rights to make major decisions about their children. For example, when both parents have equal decision-making authority, they should make decisions jointly, after consultation. Specifically, when parents share joint legal custody neither parent’s rights are superior. In contrast, sole legal custody means only one parent has the right to make decisions. The court may also order that one parent holds the sole right to make certain major decisions, such as education, but require the parties to make other decisions jointly. In Wisconsin, the law presumes joint legal custody unless the parties agree otherwise or specific reasons exist for a court to grant sole custody. Reasons why a court would grant sole custody include situations such as domestic violence.
What is physical placement?
Physical placement is the amount of time your children are in each parent’s care. During physical placement, you have the right to make routine daily decisions about your child’s care. Most court orders provide a placement schedule of the times the children are to be with each parent. Placement schedules can vary for every family’s situation. Some placement schedules give brief time with one parent and the remainder with the other. In contrast, other placement schedules set the same amount of time with each parent.
Placement schedules also provide for placement on holidays and vacations. Court orders can be general or specific. Very general court orders (such as reasonable times on reasonable notice) can be hard for parents to follow or enforce. Therefore, non-specific placement schedules can create conflict for the parents and stress for the children. However, orders that spell out specific periods of placement with each parent and transition plans can be very helpful. In particular, specific placement schedules can provide a safety net for parents and children to rely on when parents are not communicating well. It is best for children when each parent is flexible and considerate of the child and other parent’s needs. If you need additional placement time with your child, contact our Milwaukee, Wisconsin child custody and placement lawyers to help. We fight to get parents the amount of time with their kids that they deserve.
Is it true the law requires each parent to have equal placement time?
No. The law provides that the children should have a schedule that allows regularly occurring, meaningful periods of placement. A placement schedule should maximize the time the children spend with each parent. The placement schedule should also consider the geographical distance between the parents and each parent’s household accommodations. Wisconsin statute 767.41(5)(am) indicates factors the court should consider when deciding what schedule is in a child’s best interests include the following:
- each parent’s availability to provide care for the children
- each parent’s wishes
- family and other significant relationships
- past parenting time and proposed changes
- individual adjustment, needs, and wishes of each child
- availability of childcare, communication, and cooperation between parents
- support or interference of each parent with the other’s relationship with the children.
What decisions are considered routine daily decisions?
Routine daily decisions include decisions such as bedtime, study time, diet, extracurricular activities, social activities, and discipline. The right to make routine daily decisions belongs to the parent during his or her placement time. Any routine daily decision must be consistent with major decisions made under the legal custody provisions and must not break any laws about safety.
Whatever the parents’ legal rights are, children do best when their parents agree to similar rules and routines in both households. Also, many daily decisions, such as extra-curricular activities, overlap periods of placement and require parental communication and agreement. It’s helpful for everyone if you respect each other’s right to know about your children. Both parents need to know the children are safe and well cared for. Children do best when their parents work together. Parents must cooperate to make joint custody and shared placement work for their children.
How do custody and placement issues get resolved?
It’s best for children if their parents reach their own agreements about custody and placement. You should first try to come to an agreement with the other parent; then put your agreement in writing and ask the court to approve it. Parents may work with family counselors or child specialists to get professional assistance to create plans that best meet their children’s needs. The court usually approves a placement agreement if both parties voluntarily agree to it and it is reasonable.
Professional assistance is helpful and can include mediation or collaboration. Mediation is when both parents attend joint sessions with a neutral mediator. Collaboration is when each parent hires a lawyer and all four people commit to an out of court settlement process. If you discuss and reach an agreement on your own, you can get forms to reduce your agreement to writing at www.wicourts.gov. However, we encourage you to consult with a Wisconsin custody and placement attorney, such as our Milwaukee family law lawyers.
When is mediation used to decide custody and placement in Wisconsin?
Parents who are unable to reach agreements must meet at least once with a mediator. For information about court services for mediation, call your county’s family court commissioner or clerk of court. Of course, you can also ask your Wisconsin child custody and placement lawyers at our Milwaukee divorce and family law firm.
Parents also may retain private mediators to assist them in reaching parenting agreements. Parents also may work with a child specialist or co-parent counselor to help them address issues in the best way possible for their children. If you’re unable to reach an agreement in mediation, you ask the court to decide. The court will appoint an attorney (called a guardian ad litem) to investigate and represent the best interests of your children. Some counties also have court social workers who conduct studies and recommend allocation of custody and a specific placement schedule.
What is the process when a GAL is involved to decide custody and placement for my child?
The social worker and guardian ad litem process may take several months to a year. Some parents reach agreements, with the approval of the guardian ad litem, after receiving such input. If the parties cannot reach an agreement, the court schedules a hearing. The parents and guardian ad litem present their evidence at the hearing, and the court decides the issues.
In conclusion, most parents prefer not to have the court make decisions about their children. Above all, going to court is costly and time-consuming for both of you and takes an emotional toll on the whole family. Alternatives to the court process that may assist you in reaching agreements include hiring a mediator and/or hiring a lawyer.
What are my rights to information about my child?
All parents have a right to their children’s school, medical, and dental records. The only exception is if the court denies a parent any visitation or physical placement with the children. You may contact the school or health care provider directly to get school, medical, and dental records. You are entitled to records including report cards, notices of parent/teacher conferences, health notices, prescription information, and so on. To be clear, Wisconsin law requires schools and health care professionals to furnish this information. You may want to provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope to make it easier for the school or clinic to send you copies of records. You may need to pay a fee for copies.
What happens if my ex won’t let me see our children?
First, check your court order. Does it specify times the children are to be with you? If it does, you may want to remind the other parent of this order and give the other parent a copy of the order. If the order states no specific placement times, you may want to ask the court to change the order. The court could add specific times and thus clarify your right to see your children.
If the other parent still won’t let you have the children during your placement times, you may ask the court for help in enforcing the order. You would file a petition to enforce physical placement orders or a motion and affidavit for contempt. A contempt motion is called an order to show cause in Wisconsin family law proceedings. Parents can get into legal trouble if they do not follow the court’s orders. If you face an order to show cause hearing, you want to bring a lawyer with you!
What happens if an order to show cause is issued?
The court can provide make-up time, and order the losing party to pay the other party’s attorney fees. If the court finds a party in contempt, the court then makes orders which can include fines, jail time, or anything else the court finds appropriate. Neither parent should ignore a court order, and neither party should take legal action unless necessary. You may want to try counseling or mediation before involving the court to avoid the cost and effect of conflict on you and your children. Similarly, you may ask your county family court commissioner or clerk of court for information about court mediation or filing a court action. With this in mind, you should consult with a Wisconsin family law attorney before filing.
What if I have concerns about the other parent or step-parent?
Start by discussing your concerns with the other parent. Try to work out something mutually acceptable. It’s better for children when their parents work together to share concerns, information, and decision-making. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do, especially if one or both of you have new partners. But making the effort definitely will help your children.
If you’ve talked things over and you still have concerns, you can pursue family counseling or meet with a child specialist. You also could agree to obtain a mediator’s assistance or contact your county’s family court commissioner or clerk of court for court-referred mediation. When mediation doesn’t resolve your concerns, you may file a motion to change the placement.
However, a motion to change placement based solely on the fact that you don’t like your ex’s parenting style will not support a change. Unless there are safety issues, it is generally best for parents to find a way to work out issues without the court’s involvement. You should consult with a family law lawyer in Wisconsin before filing any court action.
What happens if I refuse to let my ex see our children?
Violating a court order that states certain times for the children to have placement with the other parent could lead the court to hold you in contempt. Similarly, it could result in the judge granting the other parent relief under a petition to enforce physical placement. Withholding children also can result in criminal charges. Certain situations might justify violating a court order. For example, to protect you or your children from immediate abuse or harm may be sufficient justification. But, before disobeying any court order in Wisconsin, talk to a Milwaukee family law attorney.
What happens if my ex doesn’t take our children as provided in the placement schedule?
It is difficult to force an unwilling parent to spend time with his or her children. If your ex fails to take them for placement as provided in your order, try to discuss the problem. Could a revision to the order better suit the other parent’s scheduling or other needs? Consider co-parent or family counseling.
If the other parent still refuses to take your children as provided in the order and if you’re losing money as a result, you may file a request with the court to order the other parent to pay. You could receive more child support or at least receive reimbursement for the money you lost (such as for added childcare expenses). However, if a parent repeatedly and unreasonably fails to take the children as provided in the court order, you may ask the court to modify the placement schedule to order a schedule consistent with what’s actually happening. Again, a change in placement may change in child support.
Can I move with the children?
If you have physical placement of the children and you wish to move the children out of Wisconsin you must provide notice by certified mail to the other parent. Similarly, if you want to move the children more than 150 miles from your home at the time the court made the order, you must provide certified mail notice to the other parent. If the other parent notifies you and the court they object, the court will order mediation. If you and your ex can’t reach an agreement in mediation, a guardian ad litem will be appointed. After the judge appoints a guardian ad litem (GAL) the court will hold a hearing to determine the children’s best interests.
You may not move the children until the judge or the parties resolve the issue. Even moving less than 150 miles can impact the ability to follow the placement schedule. The court has the power to allow the children to move and to adjust the placement schedule or order the children to stay with the other parent if you move. The court will consider various factors to make decisions that reflect the best interests of the children. The decision to move with the children can have a major impact on your children and their relationship with each parent and on other aspects of the children’s lives such as school, extended family, and friends. You should obtain professional input and explore the impact of such an action before proceeding
How do I change an existing placement or custody order in Wisconsin?
Changes may occur anytime by mutual agreement of both parents. To be legally binding, the court must approve the agreement. If the court doesn’t approve the agreement, the agreement is not an order, and the parents aren’t required to follow it.
Either parent may bring a motion to return to court and request a change in a custody or placement order if there is a substantial change in circumstances that supports the parent’s claim that a change would be in the children’s best interests. If it is within two years of the first placement order, the court will not order a change unless there is a showing that the current conditions are physically or emotionally harmful to the child. The procedure for resolving issues about changing orders is the same as for deciding original orders as discussed above.
Contact us for a free initial consultation with Milwaukee family law attorneys. Your child custody and placement lawyers can assist with any family law concerns in Wisconsin.