Milwaukee County Courts
 
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Family Court

Address

Family Court Commissioners Office,
Milwaukee County Courthouse, 
901 N. 9th St.,
Room 707

What Is the Family Court Commissioner's Office?

The Family Court Commissioner is part of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court Family Division. This unit consists of 10 judicial officers including a commissioner, deputy commissioner, and eight assistant commissioners. The commissioner also functions as the administrative coordinator of the Family Division.

Family Court Security

There are 10 hearing rooms divided between rooms 707 and 711; waiting room facilities are available. Access to both rooms requires a security station and metal detector pass-through. Any object that might be considered a weapon, (e.g., nail files, pen knives, scissors) will be confiscated if brought to the security station. In addition, a sheriff's deputy is stationed in both waiting rooms. Only parties involved in a case and their attorneys are allowed in the waiting area.
 
Different types of hearings are heard in different places. An attorney can help decide what type of hearing needs to be scheduled and how to go about scheduling it. In general, divorce hearings, other than final hearings, are heard in the family court commissioner's office. Family court judges hear final divorce hearings when there is a dispute on an issue. Family court commissioners may hear final divorce hearings when the parties have a written agreement on all issues.
 
Hearings to enforce a court order or modify an order after a judgment is issued are heard by family court commissioners. You can schedule a hearing before the family court commissioner by bringing all completed paperwork including sufficient copies as noted in the instructions to the calendar desk in room 707 of the courthouse. Hearings to establish paternity are normally scheduled through the Department of Child Support Services.

Paternity

Use this motion to reopen for DNA testing.

To establish paternity of parents that are not married, or if parents are married to each other and are filing for a divorce, you will need to start a paternity action.

Here are the forms you will need to change current custody/placement orders.

You should either start a paternity case, if parents have never been married to each other, or file for divorce, if parents are married to each other.

Learn more about fees, how to request a fee waiver and how to file the motion.

Guardian ad Litem

Here are the forms you need to file to petition the court for a Guardian ad Litem. 

Notice and Petition for Appointment of Guardian ad Litem

(only for use in Milwaukee County)

Order Appointing Guardian ad Litem

(only for use in Milwaukee County)

Divorce and Legal Separation

Divorces and legal separations are filed in the county you currently reside, not where you were married.

To file for divorce in Milwaukee County, at least one of the parties must:

  • Be a resident of the State of Wisconsin for at least the six months immediately before the date the action is filed
  • Be a resident of Milwaukee County for at least the 30 days immediately before the date the action is filed

To file for legal separation in Milwaukee County, at least one of the parties must:

  • Be a resident of Milwaukee County for at least the 30 days immediately before the date the action is filed

Learn more by reviewing the Milwaukee County Basic Guide to Divorce/Legal Separation (FA-4100).

Find forms and get online help using the Wisconsin Court Family Forms Assistant.

You can also find forms and instructions at the Milwaukee Justice Center.

MJC "How to Complete" Family Forms VideosDivorce Forms and Instructions Only  

Receive help through the Milwaukee Justice Center online or by calling (414) 278-3965.

We do not have a "forms assistant" and do not file the documents for clients.

Here are the forms you will need if a divorce has been completed and you would like to make changes to the court order.

To obtain a copy of your divorce decree, complete this form and email it to [email protected]

Parent Education Classes

In all cases filed for divorce, legal separation and annulment where there are minor children, the Family Court Commissioner makes an order requiring both parties to attend an approved program, up to four hours in length, regarding the effect of such action on their children. This requirement must be met unless there is a waiver granted by the Family Court Commissioner. The court will consider imposing sanctions on those who do not attend.
 
The judges and the court commissioners also have the authority, under Sec. 767.101, Wisconsin Statues, to order people involved in any pre-judgement or post-judgement family case, including paternity cases, to attend such a program.
 
To ensure the overall quality of the programs, including appropriate content and proper training of the presenters, approval of the programs is made by the Family Court Commissioner through the Family Court Mediation Service. Therefore, only attendance at approved programs will be considered as meeting this requirement. If one wants a particular program approved, that person, or the provider, will have to contact the Family Court Commissioner with such a request.
 
It is important to note that these programs do not take the place of counseling, therapy or mediation. Therefore, those types of programs cannot be substituted for these educational programs unless specific permission for the substitution is given by the Family Court Commissioner. You may attend these programs together or separately (if the program chosen allows separate attendance). The provider will prepare a form indicating the party (or parties) attending has completed the program. Each party will receive a copy of that completed form, but the original document will be returned to the Family Court Commissioner by the provider. The information will be entered in the court computer record for your case and the document will be filed in the court file.
 
To fill out the form, the provider will need to know the names of the parties, the court case number, and the branch letter (Family A, B, C, D, or E). So be sure you bring that information with you to the session. It would be a good idea to bring along a copy of one of your court papers with the information.

Approved Programs

Support, Custody and Placement

If you have existing child support/custody/placement orders from a court, then you can file one of these motions.

If you don't have court orders, then you should either start a paternity case, if parents have never been married to each other, or file for divorce, if parents are married to each other.
 

File a Motion for Custody and Placement

Mediation Services

Milwaukee County offers mediation through Family Court Mediation Services in the Office of the Family Court Commissioner for custody and placement issues in family court cases filed in Milwaukee County. Mediation allows parents to meet with a neutral third party, or mediator, to work on solutions to the issues that bring them to family court. Mediation is reasonably priced, confidential and usually scheduled more quickly than a court date. In many instances, parents can work with a mediator to find a solution acceptable to both of them and reduce or eliminate the need for court appearances.

The fee for mediation through Family Court Mediation Services is $100 per person.

Complete Mediation Request Form

Submit the completed form to:

Family Court Mediation Services
901 N. 9th St., Room 707
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Or fax to (414) 223-1947

If mediation is ordered, the parties are assigned a mediator who will schedule one or more sessions with them. There is no additional charge for the additional sessions.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURTS

901 North 9th Street, Room 104
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233
(414) 278-5362

 

Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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