What are the Types

• Annulment: Establishes that a marital status never existed.
• Divorce: Dissolution of marriage.
• Legal Separation: A court order arranging the terms (custody, support, etc.) under which a married couple will live separately.

These are handled differently than Domestic Partnership Terminations.

How to File

You may file with the assistance of an attorney or file pro se (on your own). Wisconsin Court System's self-help center is designed to help you find forms, learn about Wisconsin law and court procedures and represent yourself in some court matters. We cannot provide you with legal advice, however if you have general questions, please contact the Clerk of Courts Office via email at Marathon.Clerk@WIcourts.gov or by phone at 715-261-1300.

Complete the paperwork and file with the Marathon County Clerk of Courts Office. The filing fee is required at the time of filing.

Mediation

Mediation is a process in which disputing parents meet with the help of a neutral third party to reach an agreement regarding placement issues with their children.

You cannot request mediation if it has been less than two years since you last attended mediation. If so, you will need to file a motion with the court requesting to change physical placement or custody. Please contact the Clerk of Courts office at 715-261-1310 for forms and instructions.

After receiving an order to mediate from Marathon County Court, parties must attend mediation orientation. During this 90-minute session, a Judge and mediator will explain the procedures, process and mediator’s role, costs of mediation and why mediation is strongly supported in Marathon County.

Parties will then be referred to a local mediation agency to start the mediation process.

For further information you can contact the Family Court Commissioner’s Office at 715- 261-1380.

Wisconsin Child Support Program

The Wisconsin child support program can help you:

• Locate a missing parent.
• Establish paternity (legal fatherhood).
• Ask the court to order child support.
• Enforce child support orders.
• Contact the paying parent’s employer to set up income withholding.
• Collect child support from a parent living in another state.
• Review a support order for possible increase or decrease in payment amounts.
• Provide payment and collection information on your child support case at:

  Wisconsin Support Collections Trust Fund
  414-615-2400 metro Milwaukee area
  800-991-5530 outside the metro Milwaukee area
  877-209-5209 TDD

• Child support information is available at https://dcf.wisconsin.gov.

For civil rights questions, call 608-264-9820 or 866-275-1165 TTY (toll free)

Percentage of Income Standard:

• 17% gross income for one child
• 25% for two children
• 29% for three children
• 31% for four children
• 34% for five or more children

Marathon County Child Support Agency
1000 Lake View Drive
Suite 400
Wausau WI 54403
Phone: 715-261-7620

Once you file your paperwork, you will be given a stipulated divorce hearing date. This date is usually three or four months away. If everything is agreed upon (stipulated) between both parties the divorce will be granted at this hearing. If there are unresolved issues, a contested hearing will be scheduled (approximately six months from the stipulated divorce hearing date). After you have filed for divorce and have a court date, it is mandatory that you complete a parenting class prior to your divorce date if there are minor children of the marriage. The only approved parenting class in Marathon County is Children in Between Online, offered through the Center for Divorce Education.

Cost

The filing fee is $184.50 when no support and/or maintenance is requested or $194.50 when support and/or maintenance is requested.

Forms

The Wisconsin Court System has created a Self-help Family Web Site that provides a guide and fillable forms necessary. Our office has put together divorce packets with the forms provided on the self-help family web site. Four different packets are available:

• Joint Petition– without children (both parties agree).
• Joint Petition – with children (both parties agree).
• Summons and Petition – without children (one party filing on their own behalf and having the other party served).
• Summons and Petition – with children (one party filing on their own and having the other party served).

The Clerk of Courts Office does not have forms available for annulment and domestic partnership terminations.

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