Not all divorces will involve spousal maintenance, also known as alimony. In the 1960s, around 25 percent of divorce cases involved an alimony award, while today that number is somewhere around 10 percent. In Wisconsin, that number is estimated to be even lower, with only an estimated 8.6 percent of divorces involving spousal maintenance. When alimony was more common in divorce cases, it was mostly awarded to women who had expected to be stay-at-home parents or homemakers for life and who would rely on alimony as their only source of income post-divorce. Today, alimony is only awarded in special circumstances. Though it is not impossible to think that you may receive spousal maintenance payments, it is rare, especially in Wisconsin.

Is a Spousal Maintenance Award Warranted?

If you end up going to court to determine whether or not spousal maintenance will be awarded, the judge will look at a variety of factors before making their decision. These factors can include:

• The length of the marriage.

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Throughout the United States, the general trend for DUI arrests and convictions has been a good one — for the past couple of years, the number of DUI arrests and convictions has been decreasing. Despite this, operating a vehicle while intoxicated is still a big issue in Wisconsin. One of the ways states have tried to prevent DUIs is by placing a suspension or revocation on the offender’s driver’s licenses. 

While this has been effective in lowering DUI rates, it can greatly affect someone’s life who is arrested for OWI, including their ability to earn a living and complete household duties. Getting your driving privileges back can also be a long and tedious process, and one best navigated by a driver’s license reinstatement attorney.

Getting a divorce can be one of the best things that can happen to a person, especially when they are miserable in their marriage. Yet while a divorce can be positive, it can also be extremely time-consuming and stressful. The division of marital property is one of the more important and often contentious elements in the divorce process. Everything you and your spouse own must be allocated to one of you, depending on whether it was acquired before or after you were married. Here are a few specific assets you must allocate during your Wisconsin divorce:

The Family Home

Determining what you will do with the family residence can be difficult for a lot of people. Many have an emotional attachment to their home, especially if they have had children grow up there. If one spouse has a particular attachment to the home, that spouse could either buy out the other spouse’s portion of the home or apply for a new mortgage on the home. If neither spouse wants to keep the residence, the easiest solution is to sell the home and split the profits.

The state of Wisconsin has had a long relationship with firearms. Since Wisconsin was admitted to the United States and the Constitution of Wisconsin was adopted in 1848, citizens have been given the right to “keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.” In Wisconsin, both open carry and concealed carry are legal, although they both have different requirements. Concealed carry requires a person to have a permit, while open carry does not. Not knowing open carry laws can result in weapons charges, which is why it is important to know the laws before you carry.

Wisconsin Gun Laws

The state of Wisconsin is an open carry state, meaning you are legally permitted to carry a loaded weapon in public. Open carry does not require a permit or license to legally do so. A person is considered to be openly carrying a gun if the gun is in plain view while you are in public. If the gun is hidden from ordinary view, then it is considered to be concealed and you must have a permit to legally carry the firearm. You must also be at least 18 years old to openly carry a gun in Wisconsin.

Because they are often used interchangeably in conversation, many people think theft, robbery, and burglary are all the same thing. They are actually three rather different charges with various levels of consequences. If you are charged with theft, robbery or burglary, it is important to understand the potential punishments you face for a conviction and to secure experienced legal representation as soon as possible.

Theft Charges

According to Wisconsin law, theft occurs when you intentionally take and use, transfer, conceal, or retain possession of moveable property without the owner’s consent and with the intention of permanently depriving them of that property. Like most states’ theft laws, the punishments for theft in Wisconsin largely depend on the value of the property taken. If the value is not more than $2,500, the charge is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries up to nine months in prison and $10,000 in fines. Penalties for stolen property valued at $2,500 or more can be classified as anywhere from a Class I felony to a Class F felony. This means you could face anywhere from three to 12 years in prison and fines between $10,000 and $25,000.