Wisconsin Code § 766.55

Obligations of spouses
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(1) An obligation incurred by a spouse during marriage, including one attributable to
an act or omission during marriage, is presumed to be incurred in
the interest of the marriage or the family. A statement separately
signed by the obligated or incurring spouse at or before the time
the obligation is incurred stating that the obligation is or will be
incurred in the interest of the marriage or the family is conclusive
evidence that the obligation to which the statement refers is an
obligation in the interest of the marriage or family, except that the
existence of that statement does not affect any interspousal right
or remedy.
(2) After the determination date all of the following apply:
(a) A spouse’s obligation to satisfy a duty of support owed to
the other spouse or to a child of the marriage may be satisfied
only from all marital property and all other property of the obligated spouse.
(b) An obligation incurred by a spouse in the interest of the
marriage or the family may be satisfied only from all marital
property and all other property of the incurring spouse.
(bm) An obligation incurred by a spouse that is recoverable
under s. 46.27 (7g), 2017 stats., or s. 49.496, 49.682, or 49.849
may be satisfied from all property that was the property of that
spouse immediately before that spouse’s death.
(c) 1. An obligation incurred by a spouse before or during
marriage that is attributable to an obligation arising before marriage or to an act or omission occurring before marriage may be
satisfied only from property of that spouse that is not marital
property and from that part of marital property which would have
been the property of that spouse but for the marriage.
2. An obligation incurred by a spouse before, on or after January 1, 1986, that is attributable to an obligation arising before
January 1, 1986, or to an act or omission occurring before January 1, 1986, may be satisfied only from property of that spouse
that is not marital property and from that part of marital property
which would have been the property of that spouse but for the enactment of this chapter.
(cm) An obligation incurred by a spouse during marriage, resulting from a tort committed by the spouse during marriage, may
be satisfied from the property of that spouse that is not marital
property and from that spouse’s interest in marital property.
(d) Any other obligation incurred by a spouse during mar-

riage, including one attributable to an act or omission during marriage, may be satisfied only from property of that spouse that is
not marital property and from that spouse’s interest in marital
property, in that order.
(2m) Unless the dissolution decree or any amendment to the
decree so provides, no income of a nonincurring spouse is available for satisfaction of an obligation under sub. (2) (b) after entry
of the decree. Marital property assigned to each spouse under
that decree is available for satisfaction of such an obligation to the
extent of the value of the marital property at the date of the decree. If a dissolution decree provides that the nonincurring
spouse is responsible for satisfaction of the obligation, the obligation may be satisfied as if both spouses had incurred the
obligation.
(3) This chapter does not alter the relationship between
spouses and their creditors with respect to any property or obligation in existence on the determination date. An obligation of a
guarantor, surety or indemnitor arising after the determination
date under a guaranty or contract of indemnity or surety executed
before the determination date is an obligation in existence on the
determination date.
(4) Any written consent signed by a creditor which diminishes the rights of the creditor provided in this section is binding
on the creditor.
(4m) Except as provided under s. 766.56 (2) (c), no provision
of a marital property agreement or of a decree under s. 766.70 adversely affects the interest of a creditor unless the creditor had actual knowledge of that provision when the obligation to that creditor was incurred or, in the case of an open-end plan, as defined
under s. 766.555 (1) (a) , when the plan was entered into. If a
creditor obtains actual knowledge of a provision of a marital
property agreement or decree after an obligation is incurred or an
open-end plan is entered into, the provision does not adversely affect the interest of the creditor with respect to that obligation or
plan, including any renewal, extension, modification or use of the
obligation or plan. The effect of this subsection may not be varied by a marital property agreement or a decree. This subsection
does not affect the application of ch. 706.
(5) This chapter does not affect the exemption of any property
of spouses from availability for satisfaction of an obligation, provided by other law.
(6) Subsections (2) and (2m) and s. 859.18 do not affect the
satisfaction of an obligation of a spouse from collateral or other
security for that obligation.
(7) Property available under this chapter to satisfy an obligation of a spouse is available regardless of whether the property is
located in this state or whether this chapter no longer applies because one or both spouses are no longer domiciled in this state.
(8) After the death of a spouse, property is available for satisfaction of obligations as provided in s. 859.18.

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