Wisconsin divorce at a glance
Confirm with your county before filing — fees and rules can vary.
Dissolution of marriage in Wisconsin: the 120-day clock
Wisconsin pairs a demanding residency rule with the region’s longest wait. You need six months as a bona fide Wisconsin resident and 30 days in the filing county under Wis. Stat. § 767.301, and filing too early means the action never properly starts. Then the 120-day waiting period under § 767.335 runs from filing for a joint petition, or from service for a solo one — waivable only for narrow health-and-safety emergencies.
The state is pure no-fault: the only ground is the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage under § 767.315, with traditional defenses abolished entirely. The joint route uses FA-4110V with minor children and FA-4111V without, while a solo filing runs FA-4108V (petition) and FA-4104V (summons) with children, or FA-4109V and FA-4105V without. Every case includes the GF-179 confidential petition addendum, filed under seal.
Wisconsin is a community property state with a 50/50 division presumption under § 767.61. Spousal maintenance is called spousal maintenance, and child support follows the Wisconsin Child Support Guidelines. The base filing fee is $184.50, rising to $194.50 when the petition includes child support or maintenance.