Except as provided in s. 971.14 (6) (b): (1) WHO MAY PETITION. The department, the county department or an agency with which the county department contracts under s. 55.02 (2), a guardian, or an interested person may file a petition for appointment of a guardian and for protective services or protective placement for an individual. The department shall provide for a schedule of reimbursement for the cost of the proceedings based upon the ability to pay of the proposed ward or individual to be protected. (2) CONTENTS OF PETITION. (a) A petition shall allege that the individual meets the standards specified in s. 55.08 (1) or (2) and state with particularity the factual basis for the allegations. (b) The petition shall be based on personal knowledge of the individual alleged to need protective placement or protective services. (3) PETITION FOR GUARDIANSHIP; REVIEW OF INCOMPETENCY. A petition for guardianship described in s. 55.08 (1) (b) or (2) (a) shall be heard prior to ordering protective placement or protective services. If the individual is adjudicated incompetent in this state more than 12 months before the filing of an application for protective placement or protective services on his or her behalf, the court shall review the finding of incompetency. (4) FEES AND COSTS OF PETITION. (a) The court shall award, from the assets of the individual sought to be protectively placed or protectively served, payment of the petitioner’s reasonable attorney fees and costs, unless the court finds, after considering all of the following, that it would be inequitable to do so: 1. The petitioner’s interest in the matter, including any conflict of interest that the petitioner may have had in pursuing the guardianship or protective placement or services. 2. The ability of the estate of the individual sought to be protectively placed or protectively served to pay the petitioner’s reasonable attorney fees and costs. 3. Whether the petition was contested and, if so, the nature of the contest. 4. Whether the individual sought to be protectively placed or protectively served had executed a durable power of attorney for finances and property under ch. 244 or a power of attorney for health care under s. 155.05 or had provided advance consent to nursing home admission or engaged in other advance planning to avoid protective placement or protective services. 5. Any other factors that the court considers to be relevant. (b) If a person seeking to be the guardian of a proposed ward requests the assistance of a county department or an agency with which it contracts under s. 55.02 (2) in petitioning for guardianship or for protective services or protective placement, the assistance may be considered a service and may be charged for based upon the ability of the person to pay for the service. (5) WHERE A PETITION MAY BE FILED; VENUE; COUNTY OF RESPONSIBILITY. (a) A petition under sub. (1) shall be filed in the county of residence of the individual to be protected, as determined under s. 51.40 or by the individual’s guardian or where the individual is physically present due to extraordinary circumstances including those specified under s. 51.22 (4). If an individual has not received services under this chapter or ch. 46 or 51 or if an individual has received services under this chapter or ch. 46 or 51 that have been terminated and has established residence in a county other than that in which the individual resided when the services were received, the court may determine the individual’s county of residence. The county of residence under this paragraph is the county of responsibility. (b) The court in which a petition is first filed under par. (a) shall determine venue. The court shall direct that proper notice be given to any potentially responsible or affected county. Proper notice is given to a potentially responsible or affected county if written notice of the proceeding is sent by certified mail to the county’s clerk and corporation counsel. After all potentially responsible or affected counties and parties have been given an opportunity to be heard, the court shall determine that venue lies in the county in which the petition is filed under par. (a) or in another county, as appropriate. If the court determines that venue lies in another county, the court shall order the entire record certi- fied to the proper court. A court in which a subsequent petition is filed shall, upon being satisfied of an earlier filing in another court, summarily dismiss the subsequent petition. (bm) The court in which a petition is first filed under par. (a) shall determine venue. The court shall direct that proper notice be given to any potentially responsible or affected county. Proper notice is given to a potentially responsible or affected county if written notice of the proceeding is sent by certified mail to the county’s clerk and corporation counsel. After all potentially responsible or affected counties and parties have been given an opportunity to be heard, the court shall determine that venue lies in the county in which the petition is filed under par. (a) or in another county, as appropriate. If the court determines that venue lies in another county, the court shall order the entire record certified to the proper court. A court in which a subsequent petition is filed shall, upon being satisfied of an earlier filing in another court, summarily dismiss the subsequent petition. If any potentially responsible or affected county or party objects to the court’s finding of venue, the court may refer the issue to the department for a determination of the county of residence under s. 51.40 (2) (g) and may suspend ruling on the motion for change of venue until the determination under s. 51.40 (2) (g) is final.
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