Stillings & Buchinger, LLC

child support modifications

Under Wisconsin laws, modifications to court ordered support obligations may only be made by order of that court. Obtaining a modification requires proof of a substantial change of circumstances since the last order was entered.

Who can file a petition for modification of support?

A petition to a court for modification of a child support order can be made by either parent separately with a showing of a substantial change in circumstances, by both parents seeking a stipulated agreement which is submitted to the court for approval, or by the Wisconsin child support enforcement agency.

Can the length of support orders be changed?

Under Wisconsin law, a duty to support a child is owed until that child attains the age of 18 years or graduates from highschool, whichever occurs last. Wisconsin law provides a cap on how long child support is owed if the child has not graduated from high school.

Parents can stipulate to other terms of child support. For instance, Wisconsin law does not provide that child support be paid during college years, however parents that care about their children obtaining a college education and affording it can agree otherwise.

Do I have to hire an attorney to collect child support?

In many instances, you may not need to hire an attorney to collect child support. County child support enforcement agencies provide comprehensive child support enforcement systems which pursue and collect child support. It may be well worth your efforts to work with them and to exhaust those options before employing the services of an attorney. If you have not received results through the agency, or have exhausted their options, or if your child has special needs, or some other circumstance has arisen, then you may want to contact an attorney to discuss your legal options.

Free initial consultation

Every child support situation is different. Pleae contact the firm for a free initial consultation with an attorney at Stillings & Buchinger, LLC.