767.86.Time of first appearance.
Subch. IX: Paternity · Last amended 2005 · Current through 2025 Wisconsin Act 247 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of Section 767.86
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: 1987 a. 27; 1991 a. 313; 2005 a. 443 s. 193.
Plain-English Summary
One sentence, and a protective one. The first appearance may not be held until 30 days after service or receipt of the summons and petition, unless the parties agree to an earlier date.
The time is there to be used. A respondent served with a paternity summons has to read a dense notice about what a paternity judgment does, work out whether he can get an attorney appointed, and decide whether to ask for genetic tests or a jury. Thirty days is a floor under that, and it can be waived only by agreement — not by the court's convenience.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon is the first appearance in a Wisconsin paternity case?
Not until 30 days after service or receipt of the summons and petition, unless the parties agree to an earlier date.
Can the court schedule it sooner?
Only if the parties agree to an earlier date.