767.814.Names on pleadings after paternity determined.
Subch. IX: Paternity · Last amended 2005 · Current through 2025 Wisconsin Act 247 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of Section 767.814
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.
Plain-English Summary
Paternity actions are captioned with initials — “In re the paternity of A.B.” — and the file is confidential while the question is open. This section marks the moment that stops being necessary.
After paternity is determined by the court, any papers filed in the action and any records of the court relating to it may identify the parties by name instead of by initials. The protection exists for a person who might not be the father and for a child whose parentage is in doubt; once neither of those is true, the anonymity has no work left to do.
The word is may. Nothing here compels the use of names.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Wisconsin paternity cases anonymous?
They are captioned with initials while paternity is in question. After the court determines paternity, papers and records may identify the parties by name.
Does the file have to switch to names?
No. The section says the papers and records may identify the parties by name instead of by initials.