Portage Divorce & Family Law Lawyer, Wisconsin

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Shelley Torvinen
About | Practice Areas
Wiscota Law and Mediation PLLC
11 East Superior St Suite 504 Duluth, MN 55802» view map
Divorce & Family Law
Your Trusted, Experienced Local Attorney

When you choose mediation through Wiscota Law & Mediation, you can work together for a more agreeable outcome and greatly reduce your legal fees.

800-918-9221
1. Shelley Torvinen Duluth, MN
  Attorney at Law - WI, 1994
  Hamline University J.D. 1993
2. AboutWiscota Law and Mediation PLLC
  Your Trusted, Experienced Local Attorney
3. Practice AreasExpertise
  Divorce & Family Law
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William A. Smiley

Real Estate, Estate, Employee Rights, Family Law

Status: In Good Standing Licensed: 47 Years

CONTACT

235 W Cook St, Portage, WI 53901

Elizabeth Stevens

Estate Planning, Child Custody, Civil Rights, Reorganization

Status: In Good Standing

CONTACT

311 Dewitt Street, Portage, WI 53901

Katherine J. Kruger

Dispute Resolution, Divorce & Family Law, Bankruptcy, Malpractice, Child Custody

Status: In Good Standing Licensed: 24 Years

CONTACT

702 DeWitt St, Portage, WI 53901

Joseph L. Viney

Real Estate, Estate, Divorce & Family Law, Criminal

Status: In Good Standing Licensed: 47 Years

CONTACT

137 3Rd Ave, Baraboo, WI 53913

Jeffrey M. Blessinger

Lawsuit & Dispute, Divorce, Family Law

Status: In Good Standing

CONTACT

Baraboo, WI 53913

Hans O. Helland

Divorce & Family Law, Bankruptcy, Estate Planning, Personal Injury

Status: Inactive Licensed: 75 Years

CONTACT

Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

Todd J. Hepler

Family Law, Litigation, Municipal, Commercial Real Estate

Status: In Good Standing Licensed: 20 Years

CONTACT

113 S Main St, Lodi, WI 53555

Jessica Zerbst

Divorce, Family Law

Status: In Good Standing

CONTACT

120 3Rd Street, Baraboo, WI 53913

800-923-0641

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LEGAL TERMS

EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION

A legal principle, followed by most states, under which assets and earnings acquired during marriage are divided equitably (fairly) at divorce. In theory, equit... (more...)

A legal principle, followed by most states, under which assets and earnings acquired during marriage are divided equitably (fairly) at divorce. In theory, equitable means equal, but in practice it often means that the higher wage earner gets two-thirds to the lower wage earner's one-third. If a spouse obtains a fault divorce, the 'guilty' spouse may receive less than his equitable share upon divorce.

ALIMONY

The money paid by one ex-spouse to the other for support under the terms of a court order or settlement agreement following a divorce. Except in marriages of lo... (more...)

The money paid by one ex-spouse to the other for support under the terms of a court order or settlement agreement following a divorce. Except in marriages of long duration (ten years or more) or in the case of an ailing spouse, alimony usually lasts for a set period, with the expectation that the recipient spouse will become self-supporting. Alimony is also called 'spousal support' or 'maintenance.'

FITNESS

The ability of a prospective adoptive parent to provide for the best interests of a child. A court may consider many aspects of the prospective parents' lives i... (more...)

The ability of a prospective adoptive parent to provide for the best interests of a child. A court may consider many aspects of the prospective parents' lives in evaluating their fitness to adopt a child, including financial stability, marital stability, career obligations, other children, physical and mental health and criminal history.

DEFAULT DIVORCE

See uncontested divorce.

IRREMEDIABLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN

The situation that occurs in a marriage when one spouse refuses to live with the other and will not work toward reconciliation. In a number of states, irremedia... (more...)

The situation that occurs in a marriage when one spouse refuses to live with the other and will not work toward reconciliation. In a number of states, irremediable breakdown is the accepted ground for a no-fault divorce. As a practical matter, courts seldom, if ever, inquire into whether the marriage has actually broken down, and routinely grant a divorce as long as the party seeking the divorce says the marriage has fallen apart. Compare incompatibility; irreconcilable differences.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

An order from a judge that directs a party to come to court and convince the judge why she shouldn't grant an action proposed by the other side or by the judge ... (more...)

An order from a judge that directs a party to come to court and convince the judge why she shouldn't grant an action proposed by the other side or by the judge on her own (sua sponte). For example, in a divorce, at the request of one parent a judge might issue an order directing the other parent to appear in court on a particular date and time to show cause why the first parent should not be given sole physical custody of the children. Although it would seem that the person receiving an order to show cause is at a procedural disadvantage--she, after all, is the one who is told to come up with a convincing reason why the judge shouldn't order something--both sides normally have an equal chance to convince the judge to rule in their favor.

UNCONTESTED DIVORCE

A divorce automatically granted by a court when the spouse who is served with a summons and complaint for divorce fails to file a formal response with the court... (more...)

A divorce automatically granted by a court when the spouse who is served with a summons and complaint for divorce fails to file a formal response with the court. Many divorces proceed this way when the spouses have worked everything out and there's no reason for both to go to court -- and pay the court costs.

NO-FAULT DIVORCE

Any divorce in which the spouse who wants to split up does not have to accuse the other of wrongdoing, but can simply state that the couple no longer gets along... (more...)

Any divorce in which the spouse who wants to split up does not have to accuse the other of wrongdoing, but can simply state that the couple no longer gets along. Until no-fault divorce arrived in the 1970s, the only way a person could get a divorce was to prove that the other spouse was at fault for the marriage not working. No-fault divorces are usually granted for reasons such as incompatibility, irreconcilable differences, or irretrievable or irremediable breakdown of the marriage. Also, some states allow incurable insanity as a basis for a no-fault divorce. Compare fault divorce.

SEPARATE PROPERTY

In community property states, property owned and controlled entirely by one spouse in a marriage. At divorce, separate property is not divided under the state's... (more...)

In community property states, property owned and controlled entirely by one spouse in a marriage. At divorce, separate property is not divided under the state's property division laws, but is kept by the spouse who owns it. Separate property includes all property that a spouse obtained before marriage, through inheritance or as a gift. It also includes any property that is traceable to separate property -- for example, cash from the sale of a vintage car owned by one spouse before marriage-and any property that the spouses agree is separate property. Compare community property and equitable distribution.

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Portage Divorce & Family Law Lawyer, Wisconsin

Sponsored Law Firm

Wiscota Law and Mediation PLLC

SPONSORED LAWYERS

William A. Smiley

Elizabeth Stevens

Katherine J. Kruger

Joseph L. Viney

Jeffrey M. Blessinger

Hans O. Helland

Todd J. Hepler

Jessica Zerbst

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LEGAL TERMS

EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION

ALIMONY

FITNESS

DEFAULT DIVORCE

IRREMEDIABLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE

UNCONTESTED DIVORCE

NO-FAULT DIVORCE

SEPARATE PROPERTY

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