Get WI F-05282 2016-2024

Wisconsin birth, death, marriage, and divorce records from October 1907 to now are available. You can order them from the Wisconsin Vital Records Office. Birth, marriage, death, and divorce records are also available through Wisconsin county Register of Deeds offices.

Wisconsin is a "no fault" divorce state, which means neither spouse must prove that the other has done anything wrong, and only one spouse must testify under oath that they believe that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Wisconsin Statute 767.315 lists the grounds for divorce and legal separation in Wisconsin.

You do not need a lawyer to file a divorce in Wisconsin. Filing a divorce without lawyer is called a Pro Se Divorce.

A typical Wisconsin divorce takes six months to one year to finalize. After you file for divorce and papers are served, there's a mandatory 120-day waiting period before the final hearing.

The summons and petition (or joint petition) for divorce or legal separation and confidential petition addendum must be filed and a fee paid to the Clerk of Circuit Court. (Note: There is a mandatory 120-day waiting period before the court can hear the final hearing.)

There is a 120-day waiting period to get divorced. Once the divorce is granted, the parties cannot remarry anywhere in the world for at least six months. Spouses do not have to give reasons for wanting a divorce.

An uncontested divorce in Wisconsin is available to couples who can agree on all aspects of divorce including child custody, visitation, division of assets, health insurance coverage, and alimony. An uncontested divorce is typically faster and more affordable than a contested divorce proceeding.

In Wisconsin, both spouses together can ask the court to set aside the legal separation and restore their marriage. On the other hand, after a year of legal separation, either spouse can petition the court to transition the separation to a divorce without the other spouse's permission.