Archives: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Although most of my columns on family law criticize courts (it’s more entertaining than praising them), I am going to start my new project by praising our legal system. Although, for the most part, during the interim between the election and inauguration most politicians have looked disingenuous (and that’s a mild term), the courts almost uniformly have not.

There’s no way I’m going to review 2020 in general as it would require expletives not allowed in this publication. So instead, I’ll limit my review to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which issued two opinions concerning family law this year – and has one case pending for next year.

Learn about factors that make successful settlements more likely for clients in divorces, business disputes, and other matters.

The WI Supreme Court will determine whether or not a legal separation protects a legally separated spouse from a marital purpose obligation under Chapter 766.

Public confidence in the court system can only be strengthened by knowing that there are limits to the use of social media.

My mother used to say that it takes a very ill wind to blow no good. The COVID crisis is as ill a wind as I’ve ever seen.

The Court’s decision in Miller v. Carroll, regarding a judge accepting a Facebook friend request from a party to a case, is so limited in scope as to be worthless in application to other matters.

It has been 8 years since the WI Supreme Court accepted a review of a family-law case. Their recent decision makes one wonder why they spent their time.

After a year of writing this column for the Wisconsin Law Journal, it is time to take a look back at the main issues for the year.

The WI Supreme Court does not accept many family-law cases, so it was surprising when the justices granted review of Pulkkila v. Pulkkila.