Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 48 - Children's code.
48.275 - Parents' contribution to cost of court and legal services.

48.275 Parents' contribution to cost of court and legal services.
(1) If the court finds a child to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.13 or an unborn child of an expectant mother who is a child to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.133, the court shall order the parent of the child to contribute toward the expense of post-adjudication services to the child expectant mother and the child when born the proportion of the total amount which the court finds the parent is able to pay. If the court finds an unborn child of an expectant mother who is an adult to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.133, the court shall order the adult expectant mother to contribute toward the expense of post-adjudication services to the adult expectant mother and the child when born the proportion of the total amount which the court finds the adult expectant mother is able to pay.
(2)
(a) If this state or a county provides legal counsel to a child who is subject to a proceeding under s. 48.13 or to a child expectant mother who is subject to a proceeding under s. 48.133, the court shall order the child's parent to reimburse the state or county in accordance with par. (b) or (c). If this state or a county provides legal counsel to an adult expectant mother who is subject to a proceeding under s. 48.133, the court shall order the adult expectant mother to reimburse the state or county in accordance with par. (b) or (c). The court may not order reimbursement if a parent is the complaining or petitioning party or if the court finds that the interests of the parent and the interests of the child in the proceeding are substantially and directly adverse and that reimbursement would be unfair to the parent. The court may not order reimbursement until the completion of the proceeding or until the state or county is no longer providing the child or expectant mother with legal counsel in the proceeding.
(b) If this state provides the child or adult expectant mother with legal counsel and the court orders reimbursement under par. (a), the child's parent or the adult expectant mother may request the state public defender to determine whether the parent or adult expectant mother is indigent as provided under s. 977.07 and to determine the amount of reimbursement. If the parent or adult expectant mother is found not to be indigent, the amount of reimbursement shall be the maximum amount established by the public defender board. If the parent or adult expectant mother is found to be indigent in part, the amount of reimbursement shall be the amount of partial payment determined in accordance with the rules of the public defender board under s. 977.02 (3).
(c) If the county provides the child or adult expectant mother with legal counsel and the court orders reimbursement under par. (a), the court shall either make a determination of indigency or shall appoint the county department to make the determination. If the court or the county department finds that the parent or adult expectant mother is not indigent or is indigent in part, the court shall establish the amount of reimbursement and shall order the parent or adult expectant mother to pay it.
(cg) The court shall, upon motion by a parent or expectant mother, hold a hearing to review any of the following:
1. An indigency determination made under par. (b) or (c).
2. The amount of reimbursement ordered.
3. The court's finding, under par. (a), that the interests of the parent and the child are not substantially and directly adverse and that ordering the payment of reimbursement would not be unfair to the parent.
(cr) Following a hearing under par. (cg), the court may affirm, rescind or modify the reimbursement order.
(d)
1. In a county having a population of less than 750,000, reimbursement payments shall be made to the clerk of courts of the county where the proceedings took place. Each payment shall be transmitted to the county treasurer, who shall deposit 25 percent of the amount paid for state-provided counsel in the county treasury and transmit the remainder to the secretary of administration. Payments transmitted to the secretary of administration shall be deposited in the general fund and credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.550 (1) (L). The county treasurer shall deposit 100 percent of the amount paid for county-provided counsel in the county treasury.
2. In a county having a population of 750,000 or more, reimbursement payments shall be made to the clerk of courts of the county where the proceedings took place. Each payment shall be transmitted to the secretary of administration, who shall deposit the amount paid in the general fund and credit 25 percent of the amount paid to the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (1) (gx) and the remainder to the appropriation account under s. 20.550 (1) (L).
(dm) Within 30 days after each calendar quarter, the clerk of court for each county shall report to the state public defender all of the following:
1. The total amount of reimbursement determined or ordered under par. (b) or (cr) for state-provided counsel during the previous calendar quarter.
2. The total amount collected under par. (d) for state-provided counsel during the previous calendar quarter.
(e) A person who fails to comply with an order under par. (b) or (c) may be proceeded against for contempt of court under ch. 785.
(3) This section does not apply to any proceedings under s. 48.375 (7).
History: 1977 c. 29, 354, 449; 1981 c. 20; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 29, 176; 1987 a. 27; 1991 a. 263; 1993 a. 98, 446; 1995 a. 27, 77; 1997 a. 27, 292; 2003 a. 33; 2007 a. 20; 2015 a. 172.
Guardian ad litem fees are not reimbursable under sub. (2) (a). In Interest of G. & L.P., 119 Wis. 2d 349, 349 N.W.2d 743 (Ct. App. 1984).

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