Archives: Children and Divorce

On December 13, 2005, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Landwehr v. Landwehr, which presents the issue of the proper standard of review when determining a motion to modify physical placement. Let’s hope the high court relies heavily upon a recent court of appeals opinion before rendering its decision in this case.

On November 9, 2005, the Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill by vote of 57 to 38 vote that would substantially change Wisconsin’s removal law, greatly restricting a parent’s ability to move with a minor child.

If the much-publicized case of Terri Schiavo wasn’t enough to make you reconsider the importance of good estate planning, a recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals case re-emphasizes that point.

One grey area of family law was recently made black-and-white by a recent court of appeals decision. Another area, however, may have been made a shade grayer.

After Michael Gough’s divorce in Utah, he found himself living 1,000 miles away from his four year old daughter. Not satisfied with simple telephone calls in between physical visitations, he sought a court order allowing “virtual visitation” through electronic communication.

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision in Landwehr v. Landwehr is the first family law case on the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s September 2005 term docket.

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin has issued its opinion in Chen v. Warner affirming the circuit court’s conclusion that a physician mother’s decision to quit her job after the divorce to stay home with the children, with which whom she had shared equal placement with the physician father, was not shirking.

Any confusion about Wisconsin law regarding credits for child support arrears might have (finally) been put to rest, thanks to a recent supreme court decision.

Per tradition, it is time to take a look back at the significant family law cases which were decided during the past year, with either plaudits for the well-reasoned decisions or – forgive me, judges – one last kick at those with which I take issue.

In Rumpff v. Rumpff, the District II Court of Appeals called into question the definition of “equivalent care” and the efficacy of the sharing of “variable expenses” in the state’s child support guidelines.