767.57 Maintenance, child support, and family support payments; fees.

(1) Payment to department.

(a) All orders or judgments providing for temporary or permanent maintenance, child support, or family support payments shall direct that the payments be made to the department or its designee for the use of the person for whom the payments have been awarded. A party obtaining an order for temporary maintenance, child support, or family support payments shall promptly file the order, together with all pleadings in the action, with the clerk of court.

(b) Upon request, after the filing of an order or judgment or the receipt of an interim disbursement order, the clerk of court shall advise the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) of the terms of the order or judgment within 2 business days after the filing or receipt. The county child support agency shall, within the time required by federal law, enter the terms of the order or judgment into the statewide support data system, as required by s. 59.53 (5) (b).

(c) Except as provided in sub. (1m), the department or its designee shall disburse, and take receipts for, the money received under the judgment or order in the manner required by federal regulations, unless the department or its designee is unable to disburse the moneys because the moneys were paid by check or other draft drawn upon an account containing insufficient funds. All moneys received or disbursed under this section shall be entered in a record kept by the department or its designee. The record shall be open to inspection by the parties to the action, their attorneys, and the circuit court commissioner.

(d) The department or its designee shall offer to every individual to whom child support or family support payments are disbursed under this section the option to receive a paper statement of account that will be sent to the individual whenever money is received on behalf of or disbursed to the individual under this section. The department or its designee may not charge an individual a fee for providing the statements of account.

(1e) Receiving and disbursing fees.

(a) For receiving and disbursing maintenance, child support, or family support payments, including payments in arrears, and for maintaining the records required under sub. (1) (c), the department or its designee shall collect an annual fee of $65 from a party ordered to make payments. The court shall order each party ordered to make payments to pay the fee in each year for which payments are ordered or in which an arrearage in any of those payments is owed. In directing the manner of payment, the court shall order that the fee be withheld from income and sent to the department or its designee, as provided under s. 767.75. Fees under this paragraph shall be deposited in the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (2) (ja). At the time of ordering payment of the fee, the court shall notify each party ordered to make payments of the requirement to pay, and the amount of, the fee. If the fee under this paragraph is not paid when due, the department or its designee may not deduct the fee from any maintenance, child or family support, or arrearage payment, but may move the court for a remedial sanction under ch. 785.

(b)

1m. The department or its designee may collect any unpaid fees under s. 814.61 (12) (b), 1997 stats., that are shown on the department's automated payment and collection system on December 31, 1998, and shall deposit all fees collected under this subdivision in the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (2) (ja). The department or its designee may collect unpaid fees under this subdivision through income withholding under s. 767.75 (2m). If the department or its designee determines that income withholding is inapplicable, ineffective, or insufficient for the collection of any unpaid fees under this subdivision, the department or its designee may move the court for a remedial sanction under ch. 785. The department or its designee may contract with or employ a collection agency or other person for the collection of any unpaid fees under this subdivision and, notwithstanding s. 20.930, may contract with or employ an attorney to appear in any action in state or federal court to enforce the payment obligation. The department or its designee may not deduct the amount of unpaid fees from any maintenance, child or family support, or arrearage payment.

2m. A clerk of court may collect any unpaid fees under s. 814.61 (12) (b), 1997 stats., that are owed to the clerk of court, or to his or her predecessor, and that were not shown on the department's automated payment and collection system on December 31, 1998, through income withholding under s. 767.75 (2m). If the clerk of court determines that income withholding is inapplicable, ineffective, or insufficient for the collection of any unpaid fees under this subdivision, the clerk of court may move the court for a remedial sanction under ch. 785.

(c) The department or its designee shall collect an annual fee of $35 from every individual receiving child support or family support payments. In applicable cases, the fee shall comply with all requirements under 42 USC 654 (6) (B). The department or its designee may deduct the fee from maintenance, child or family support, or arrearage payments. Fees collected under this paragraph shall be deposited in the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (2) (ja).

(1h) Nonpayment; enforcement. If maintenance, child support, or family support payments are not paid to the department or its designee at the time provided in the judgment or order, the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) or a circuit court commissioner of the county shall take proceedings to secure the payment of the sum, including enforcement by contempt proceedings under ch. 785 or by other means. Copies of any order issued to compel the payment shall be mailed to the attorney, if any, who represented each party when the maintenance, child support, or family support payments were awarded. If any fees of officers in any of the proceedings, including the compensation of the circuit court commissioner at the rate of $50 per day unless the commissioner is on a salaried basis, is not collected from the person proceeded against, the fees shall be paid out of the county treasury upon the order of the presiding judge and the certificate of the department.

(1m) Overpayment. If the department or its designee receives support or maintenance money that exceeds the amount due in the month in which it is received and the department or its designee determines that the excess amount is for support or maintenance due in a succeeding month, the department or its designee may hold the amount of overpayment that does not exceed the amount due in the next month for disbursement in the next month if any of the following applies:

(a) The payee or the payer requests that the overpayment be held until the month when it is due.

(b) The court has ordered that overpayments of child support, family support, or maintenance that do not exceed the amount of support or maintenance due in the next month may be held for disbursement in the next month.

(c) The party entitled to the support or maintenance money or a minor child of the party has applied for or is receiving aid under s. 48.645 or public assistance under ch. 49 and there is an assignment to the state under s. 48.645 (3) or 49.19 (4) (h) 1. b. of the party's right to the support or maintenance money.

(cm) A kinship care relative or a long-term kinship care relative of the child who is entitled to the support money has applied for or is receiving kinship care payments or long-term kinship care payments for that child and there is an assignment to the state under s. 48.57 (3m) (b) 2. or (3n) (b) 2. of the child's right to the support money.

(d) The department or its designee determines that the overpayment should be held until the month when it is due.

(2) Procedure if recipient on public assistance. If a party entitled to maintenance or support, or both, is receiving public assistance under ch. 49, the party may assign the party's right to support or maintenance to the county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23 granting the assistance. The assignment shall be approved by order of the court granting the maintenance or support. The assignment may not be terminated if there is a delinquency in the amount to be paid to the assignee of maintenance and support previously ordered without the written consent of the assignee or upon notice to the assignee and a hearing. When an assignment of maintenance or support, or both, has been approved by the order, the assignee shall be deemed a real party in interest within s. 803.01 solely for the purpose of securing payment of unpaid maintenance or support ordered to be paid, by participating in proceedings to secure the payment of unpaid amounts. Notwithstanding assignment under this subsection, and without further order of the court, the department or its designee, upon receiving notice that a party or a minor child of the parties is receiving aid under s. 48.645 or public assistance under ch. 49 or that a kinship care relative or long-term kinship care relative of the minor child is receiving kinship care payments or long-term kinship care payments for the minor child, shall forward all support assigned under s. 48.57 (3m) (b) 2. or (3n) (b) 2., 48.645 (3), 49.19 (4) (h) 1., or 49.45 (19) to the assignee under s. 48.57 (3m) (b) 2. or (3n) (b) 2., 48.645 (3), 49.19 (4) (h) 1., or 49.45 (19).

(3) Procedure if recipient institutionalized or confined.

(a) If maintenance or support, or both, are ordered to be paid for the benefit of any individual who is committed by court order to an institution, who is in confinement, or whose legal custody is vested by court order under ch. 48 or 938 in an agency, department, relative, or other entity, the court may order that the maintenance or support be paid to the relative, agency, institution, welfare department, or other entity having legal or actual custody of the individual, and that it be used for the person's care and maintenance, without the appointment of a guardian in this state.

(b) If a child who is the beneficiary of support under a judgment or order is placed by court order in a residential care center for children and youth, juvenile correctional institution, or state mental institution, the right of the child to support during the period of the child's confinement, including any right to unpaid support accruing during that period, is assigned to the state. If the judgment or order providing for the support of a child who is placed in a residential care center for children and youth, juvenile correctional institution, or state mental institution includes support for one or more other children, the support that is assigned to the state shall be the proportionate share of the child placed in the center or institution, except as otherwise ordered by the court or circuit court commissioner on the motion of a party.

(4) Procedure for certain child recipients. If an order or judgment providing for the support of one or more children not receiving aid under s. 48.57 (3m) or (3n), 48.645, or 49.19 includes support for a minor who is the beneficiary of aid under s. 48.57 (3m) or (3n), 48.645, or 49.19, any support payment made under the order or judgment is assigned to the state under s. 48.57 (3m) (b) 2. or (3n) (b) 2., 48.645 (3), or 49.19 (4) (h) 1. b. in the amount that is the proportionate share of the minor receiving aid under s. 48.57 (3m) or (3n), 48.645, or 49.19, except as otherwise ordered by the court on the motion of a party.

(5) Trustee or receiver may be appointed. The court may appoint a receiver or trustee, as necessary, to receive any payments ordered under this chapter, to invest and pay over the income for the maintenance of the spouse or the support and education of any of the children described in s. 767.511 (4), or to pay over the principal sum in the amount and at the times that the court directs. The court may require the receiver or trustee to post bond, with or without sureties, in the amount that the court directs.

History: 1971 c. 41 s. 12; Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 775 (1975); 1975 c. 82, 200; 1975 c. 401 s. 4; 1977 c. 105 s. 59; 1977 c. 271, 418, 447; 1979 c. 32 ss. 50, 92 (4); 1979 c. 257 s. 17; Stats. 1979 s. 767.29; 1981 c. 20 s. 2202 (20) (m); 1983 a. 27, 302; 1985 a. 29, 176; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 481; 1995 a. 27 ss. 7104tm, 9126 (19), 9130 (4); 1995 a. 77, 279, 289, 404; 1997 a. 27, 35, 105, 191, 252; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16, 59, 61, 105; 2005 a. 25, 387; 2005 a. 443 ss. 127 to 132, 144, 225; Stats. 2005 s. 767.57; 2007 a. 20, 96; 2009 a. 28, 180; 2013 a. 20; 2019 a. 9.

An agency assigned benefits under sub. (2) was entitled to collect unpaid alimony and support money that had accumulated prior to the effective date of the assignment and prior to the assignor's receipt of public assistance. Schiavo v. Schiavo, 71 Wis. 2d 136, 237 N.W.2d 702 (1976).

The defense of laches is not available in an action or proceeding brought to secure enforcement of a child support order in a divorce action. Paterson v. Paterson, 73 Wis. 2d 150, 242 N.W.2d 907 (1976).