Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB189 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-2323/1
3	3	MDE:amn
4	4	2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 189
5	5	April 15, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives TUSLER, O'CONNOR, DOYLE,
6	6	PALMERI and PIWOWARCZYK, cosponsored by Senators WIMBERGER and
7	7	CABRAL-GUEVARA. Referred to Committee on Children and Families.
8	8
9	9	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
10	10	AN ACT to renumber 767.235 (1); to amend 767.127 (2), 767.235 (2), 767.315
11	11	(1) (a), 767.315 (2), 767.335 (intro.) and 767.35 (3); to create 767.235 (1) (b) of
12	12	the statutes; relating to: an optional final hearing by affidavit for the
13	13	dissolution of a marriage.
14	14	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
15	15	This bill allows a court to enter a judgment of divorce or legal separation based
16	16	on an affidavit signed by each party to the action (final hearing by affidavit). Under
17	17	current law, all hearings and trials to determine whether a divorce or legal
18	18	separation must be granted must be before the court entering the judgment.
19	19	In order for a final hearing by affidavit to be granted, the parties to the divorce
20	20	or legal separation action must 1) be represented by counsel or have worked with a
21	21	lawyer mediator with special skills and training in dispute resolution who is
22	22	registered on the case and drafted and filed the signed stipulation related to divorce
23	23	or legal separation, 2) sign and file any stipulation required by the court, and 3)
24	24	submit the signed affidavit, which must meet a number of requirements, including
25	25	that the affidavit waives the right to a hearing in person before a court.
26	26	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
27	27	enact as follows:
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31	31	4 2025 - 2026 Legislature
32	32	ASSEMBLY BILL 189
33	33	- 2 - LRB-2323/1
34	34	MDE:amn
35	35	SECTION 1
36	36	SECTION 1. 767.127 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
37	37	767.127 (2) FILING DISCLOSURE FORMS. Disclosure forms required under this
38	38	section shall be filed within 90 days after the service of summons or the filing of a
39	39	joint petition or at a time ordered by the court. Information on the forms shall be
40	40	updated on the record to the date of hearing or, in the case of granting a divorce or
41	41	legal separation based on an affidavit under s. 767.235 (1) (b), the date of the
42	42	signing of the affidavit.
43	43	SECTION 2. 767.235 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 767.235 (1) (a).
44	44	SECTION 3. 767.235 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
45	45	767.235 (1) (b) Notwithstanding par. (a), a judgment of divorce or legal
46	46	separation under s. 767.35 may be granted without a hearing before the court if all
47	47	of the following conditions are met:
48	48	1. Both parties named in the action are represented by counsel or have worked
49	49	with a lawyer mediator with special skills and training in dispute resolution who is
50	50	registered on the case and who drafted and filed the parties[ signed stipulation
51	51	under s. 767.34.
52	52	2. All parties under s. 767.205 have signed and filed a court-approved
53	53	stipulation under s. 767.34.
54	54	3. Both parties have filed a stipulation for judgment upon affidavit.
55	55	4. Both parties have submitted an affidavit that meets all of the following
56	56	requirements:
57	57	a. The affidavit affirms or amends, if necessary, the information contained in
58	58	the petition under s. 767.215 (2).
59	59	b. The affidavit affirms the residency requirements under s. 767.301.
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84	84	ASSEMBLY BILL 189
85	85	- 3 - LRB-2323/1
86	86	MDE:amn
87	87	SECTION 3
88	88	c. The affidavit asserts that the conditions under s. 767.35 (1) have been met.
89	89	d. The affidavit states whether either party is a member of the armed forces of
90	90	the United States or its allies.
91	91	e. The affidavit states whether either party is receiving public assistance.
92	92	f. The affidavit affirms that both parties made the disclosures required under
93	93	s. 767.127.
94	94	g. The affidavit affirms that both parties understood the terms of and entered
95	95	freely into any stipulation filed under s. 767.34.
96	96	h. The affidavit requests that the court incorporate any stipulation filed
97	97	under s. 767.34 into the judgment.
98	98	i. The affidavit waives the right to a hearing in person before a court under
99	99	par. (a) and s. 767.315.
100	100	j. The affidavit states that both parties understand the requirements under s.
101	101	767.35 (3).
102	102	k. The affidavit states whether either party requests to resume a former legal
103	103	surname, if any, under s. 767.395.
104	104	L. The affidavit states whether the parties were involved in any pending or
105	105	completed court cases in any jurisdiction where interspousal battery or domestic
106	106	abuse, as defined in s. 813.122 (1) (a), are indicated, including petitions under s.
107	107	813.12, 813.122, or 813.125, criminal cases alleging conduct under s. 940.19 or
108	108	940.20, or their substantial equivalents in state, tribal, or federal court.
109	109	m. The affidavit states that both parties acknowledge and understand the
110	110	prohibition on remarriage under s. 765.03.
111	111	SECTION 4. 767.235 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
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135	135	24 2025 - 2026 Legislature
136	136	ASSEMBLY BILL 189
137	137	- 4 - LRB-2323/1
138	138	MDE:amn
139	139	SECTION 4
140	140	767.235 (2) APPEARANCE OF LITIGANTS. Unless Except as provided under sub.
141	141	(1) (b), or unless nonresidence in the state is shown by competent evidence, service
142	142	is by publication, or the court for other good cause orders otherwise, both parties in
143	143	actions affecting the family shall appear upon the final hearing or trial. An order of
144	144	the court to that effect shall be procured by the moving party, and shall be served
145	145	upon the nonmoving party before the hearing or trial. No order is required in the
146	146	case of a joint petition.
147	147	SECTION 5. 767.315 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
148	148	767.315 (1) (a) If both of the parties to a legal separation or divorce action by
149	149	petition or otherwise have stated under oath or affirmation that the marriage is
150	150	irretrievably broken, or if the parties have voluntarily lived apart continuously for
151	151	12 months or more immediately prior to commencement of the action and one party
152	152	has so stated, the court, after hearing, shall make a finding that the marriage is
153	153	irretrievably broken for purposes of s. 767.35 (1) (b) 1. This paragraph may be
154	154	satisfied by an affidavit under s. 767.235 (1) (b).
155	155	SECTION 6. 767.315 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
156	156	767.315 (2) BREAKDOWN OF MARITAL RELATIONSHIP. If both of the parties to a
157	157	legal separation or divorce action by petition or otherwise have stated under oath or
158	158	affirmation that the marital relationship is broken, the court, after hearing, shall
159	159	make a finding that the marital relationship is broken for purposes of s. 767.35 (1)
160	160	(b) 2. This subsection may be satisfied by an affidavit under s. 767.235 (1) (b).
161	161	SECTION 7. 767.335 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
162	162	767.335 Waiting period for final hearing or trial. (intro.) An action for
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185	185	23 2025 - 2026 Legislature
186	186	ASSEMBLY BILL 189
187	187	- 5 - LRB-2323/1
188	188	MDE:amn
189	189	SECTION 7
190	190	divorce or legal separation may not be brought to final hearing or trial or granted
191	191	based on an affidavit under s. 767.235 (1) (b) until the first of the following occurs:
192	192	SECTION 8. 767.35 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
193	193	767.35 (3) WHEN DIVORCE JUDGMENT EFFECTIVE. A judgment of divorce is
194	194	effective when granted. A court granting a judgment of divorce shall inform the
195	195	parties appearing in court that the judgment is effective when granted but that it is
196	196	unlawful under s. 765.03 (2) for a party to marry again until 6 months after the
197	197	judgment is granted. This section does not prevent application of enforceable
198	198	orders prior to the divorce judgment as set forth in s. 767.333.
199	199	(END)
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