767.251.Content, preparation, and approval of judgment.

Subch. III: General Procedure · Last amended 2005 · Current through 2025 Wisconsin Act 247 · Last verified September 8, 2026

In one sentenceSection 767.251 requires the judgment to warn that disobedience is punishable as contempt, and puts the drafting on the petitioner with a 30-day deadline and an approval step.

Full Text of Section 767.251

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(1) CONTENT. In an action affecting the family, if the court orders maintenance payments or other allowances for a party or children or retains jurisdiction in those matters, the written judgment shall include a statement that disobedience of the court order is punishable under ch. 785 by commitment to the county jail or house of correction until the judgment is complied with and the costs and expenses of the proceedings are paid or until the party committed is otherwise discharged, according to law. Final written agreements and stipulations of the parties shall, unless set forth in the judgment, be appended to the judgment and incorporated by reference.

(2) PREPARATION. The findings of fact, conclusions of law, and the written judgment shall be drafted by the petitioner unless the court otherwise directs, and shall be submitted to the court and filed with the clerk of the court within 30 days after judgment is granted.

(3) APPROVAL. The draft findings, conclusions, and judgment shall be approved by all counsel appearing, including a guardian ad litem and county child support enforcement agency attorney, and any other person designated by the court or local rule. After necessary approvals are obtained, the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment shall be submitted to the court.

End

Official Notes

Wisconsin prints certain labelled notes with the statute — effective-date notes, cross-references, and notes of the Judicial Council. They are reproduced verbatim below. The unlabelled digest of court decisions that the Legislative Reference Bureau prints after them is annotation rather than statute, and is not reproduced.

NOTE: 2005 Wis. Act 443 contains explanatory notes.

Amendment History

Wisconsin prints each section’s legislative history as a single “History” line naming every act that created or amended it, and every renumbering. It is reproduced verbatim below.

History: 2005 a. 443 ss. 169, 170.

Plain-English Summary

Where the court orders maintenance or other allowances for a party or children, or retains jurisdiction over those matters, the written judgment must carry a statement that disobeying the order is punishable under ch. 785 by commitment to the county jail or house of correction. The warning is part of the document, not an afterthought.

The drafting falls to the petitioner unless the court directs otherwise. The findings of fact, conclusions of law and written judgment are submitted to the court and filed with the clerk within 30 days after judgment is granted.

Before that, they must be approved by all counsel appearing — including any guardian ad litem and the county child support enforcement agency attorney — and anyone else the court or a local rule designates. Only once those approvals are in hand do the papers go to the court.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who drafts the divorce judgment in Wisconsin?

The petitioner, unless the court directs otherwise.

How long is there to file the judgment?

The findings of fact, conclusions of law and written judgment are submitted to the court and filed with the clerk within 30 days after judgment is granted.

Who has to approve the draft?

All counsel appearing, including a guardian ad litem and the county child support enforcement agency attorney, and anyone else designated by the court or local rule.

Does the judgment warn about contempt?

Where maintenance or other allowances are ordered or jurisdiction retained, yes — the judgment must state that disobedience is punishable under ch. 785 by commitment to the county jail or house of correction.

Source & verification. The statutory text, official notes and history are reproduced verbatim from the Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 767 (Wis. Stat. § 767.251), published by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Current through 2025 Wisconsin Act 247. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 8, 2026. · Official source

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