In January we blogged about a child support issue that’s headed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. That case has now been scheduled for oral argument. Attorney Keith Wessel of Wessel, Lehker & Fumelle will argue the case before the full Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday, October 6, at 1:30 pm.
Under current Wisconsin child support law, parents may not agree to a maximum amount of child support. Such agreements are held to violate public policy because children should share in their parents’ increased earnings. Yet the courts have imposed few restrictions on parents’ agreements on a minimum amount of child support. In the case before the court, the child support payer’s income decreased – a common scenario in today’s economy – yet the payer was precluded from seeking a reduction in his child support payments. We argue that child support should be modifiable as the parents’ financial circumstances change, whether the modification is an increase in child support or a decrease in child support.
With the current composition of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the October 6 argument should be lively and interesting. Oral arguments in the Wisconsin Supreme Court are open to the public. Come hear a thought-provoking argument and, whatever your opinion, demonstrate by your presence that the public cares about this issue.