Wisconsin Code § 767.805

Voluntary acknowledgment of paternity
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(1)
CONCLUSIVE DETERMINATION OF PATERNITY. A statement acknowledging paternity that is on file with the state registrar under
s. 69.15 (3) (b) 3. after the last day on which a person may timely
rescind the statement, as specified in s. 69.15 (3m), is a conclusive determination, which shall be of the same effect as a judgment, of paternity.
(1m) MINOR PARENT MAY NOT SIGN. A minor may not sign a
statement acknowledging paternity.
(2) RESCISSION OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT. (a) A statement acknowledging paternity that is filed with the state registrar under s.
69.15 (3) (b) 3. may be rescinded as provided in s. 69.15 (3m) by
a person who signed the statement as a parent of the child who is
the subject of the statement.
(b) If a statement acknowledging paternity is timely rescinded
as provided in s. 69.15 (3m), a court may not enter an order specified in sub. (4) with respect to the male who signed the statement
as the father of the child unless the male is adjudicated the child’s
father using the procedures set forth in this subchapter, except for
this section.
(3) ACTIONS WHEN PATERNITY ACKNOWLEDGED. (a) Unless
the statement acknowledging paternity has been rescinded, an action affecting the family concerning custody, child support or
physical placement rights may be brought with respect to persons
who, with respect to a child, jointly signed and filed with the state
registrar under s. 69.15 (3) (b) 3. as parents of the child a statement acknowledging paternity.
(b) Except as provided in s. 767.407, in an action specified in
par. (a) the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for the child.
(4) ORDERS WHEN PATERNITY ACKNOWLEDGED. In an action
under sub. (3) (a), if the persons who signed and filed the statement acknowledging paternity as parents of the child had notice
of the hearing, the court shall make an order that contains all of
the following provisions:
(a) Orders for the legal custody of and periods of physical
placement with the child, determined in accordance with s.
767.41.
(am) The information set forth in s. 767.41 (6) (h).
(b) An order requiring either or both of the parents to contribute to the support of any child of the parties who is less than 18
years old, or any child of the parties who is less than 19 years old
if the child is pursuing an accredited course of instruction leading
to the acquisition of a high school diploma or its equivalent, determined in accordance with s. 767.511.
(c) A determination as to which parent, if eligible, shall have
the right to claim the child as an exemption for federal tax purposes under 26 USC 151 (c).
(d) 1. An order establishing the amount of the father’s obligation to pay or contribute to the reasonable expenses of the
mother’s pregnancy and the child’s birth. The amount established may not exceed one-half of the total actual and reasonable

pregnancy and birth expenses. The order also shall specify the
court’s findings as to whether the father’s income is at or below
the poverty line established under 42 USC 9902 (2), and shall
specify whether periodic payments are due on the obligation,
based on the father’s ability to pay or contribute to those
expenses.
2. If the order does not require periodic payments because
the father has no present ability to pay or contribute to the expenses, the court may modify the judgment or order at a later date
to require periodic payments if the father has the ability to pay at
that time.
(e) An order requiring either or both parties to pay or contribute to the costs of the guardian ad litem fees and other costs.
(f) An order requiring either party to pay or contribute to the
attorney fees of the other party.
(4m) LIABILITY FOR PAST SUPPORT. (a) Subject to par. (b),
liability for past support of the child shall be limited to support
for the period after the day on which the petition, motion or order
to show cause requesting support is filed in the action for support
under sub. (3) (a), unless a party shows, to the satisfaction of the
court, all of the following:
1. That he or she was induced to delay commencing the action by any of the following:
a. Duress or threats.
b. Actions, promises or representations by the other party
upon which the party relied.
c. Actions taken by the other party to evade proceedings under sub. (3) (a).
2. That, after the inducement ceased to operate, he or she did
not unreasonably delay in commencing the action.
(b) In no event may liability for past support of the child be
imposed for any period before the birth of the child.
(5) VOIDING DETERMINATION. (a) A determination of paternity that arises under this section may be voided at any time upon
a motion or petition stating facts that show fraud, duress or a mistake of fact. Except for good cause shown, any orders entered under sub. (4) shall remain in effect during the pendency of a proceeding under this paragraph.
(b) If a court in a proceeding under par. (a) determines that the
male is not the father of the child, the court shall vacate any order
entered under sub. (4) with respect to the male. The court or the
county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) shall notify the
state registrar, in the manner provided in s. 69.15 (1) (b) , to remove the male’s name as the father of the child from the child’s
birth record. No paternity action may thereafter be brought
against the male with respect to the child.
(6) APPLICABILITY. (a) This section does not apply unless all
of the following apply to the statement acknowledging paternity:
1. The statement is made on a form prescribed by the state
registrar for use beginning on April 1, 1998.
2. The statement was signed and filed on or after
April 1, 1998.
3. The statement contains an attestation clause showing that
both parties, before signing the statement, received oral and written notice of the legal consequences of, the rights and responsibilities arising from and the alternatives to, signing the statement.
(b) Parties who signed and filed a statement acknowledging
paternity before April 1, 1998, may sign and file a new statement
that fulfills the requirements under par. (a). The new statement
supersedes any statement previously filed with the state registrar
and has the effects specified in this section.
(c) The notice requirements under s. 69.15 (3) (b) 3. apply to
this section beginning with the acknowledgements of paternity
that are prescribed by the state registrar on April 1, 1998.

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