Wisconsin Family Lawyer Blog
A Michigan child support case has made headlines across the nation recently. Just last month the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in Department of Human Services v. Lawrence Michael Beck that even though the father’s parental rights had been terminated, his obligation to pay child support could continue. The court based its decision largely on the Michigan legislature’s “clear distinction between parental rights and the parental obligation to support a minor child.”
In Wisconsin, the legislature has done just the opposite. The Wisconsin Children’s Code provides, “An order terminating parental rights permanently severs all legal rights and duties between the parent whose parental rights are terminated and the child. . . .” Wisconsin Statutes Section 48.43(2). Thus in Wisconsin, termination of parental rights ends all legal rights, including the parent’s right to spend time with the child, and all legal obligations, including the parent’s obligation to provide financial support.