Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 49 - Public assistance and children and family services.
49.90 - Liability of relatives; enforcement.

49.90 Liability of relatives; enforcement.
(1)
(a)
1. The parent and spouse of any dependent person who is unable to maintain himself or herself shall maintain such dependent person, so far as able, in a manner approved by the authorities having charge of the dependent, or by the board in charge of the institution where such dependent person is; but no parent shall be required to support a child 18 years of age or older.
2. Except as provided under subs. (11) and (13) (a), the parent of a dependent person under the age of 18 shall maintain a child of the dependent person so far as the parent is able and to the extent that the dependent person is unable to do so. The requirement under this subdivision does not supplant any requirement under subd. 1. and applies regardless of whether a court has ordered maintenance by the parent of the dependent person or established a level of maintenance by the parent of the dependent person.
(b) For purposes of this section those persons receiving benefits under federal Title XVI or under s. 49.77 shall not be deemed dependent persons.
(c) For the purpose of determining the ability of a parent or spouse to maintain a dependent person or the ability of a parent to support the child of his or her dependent child under the age of 18, credit granted under subch. VIII of ch. 71 shall not be considered.
(1m) Each spouse has an equal obligation to support the other spouse as provided in this chapter. Each parent has an equal obligation to support his or her minor children as provided in this chapter and chs. 48 and 938. Each parent of a dependent person under the age of 18 has an equal obligation to support the child of the dependent person as provided under sub. (1) (a) 2.
(2) Upon failure of these relatives to provide maintenance the authorities or board shall submit to the corporation counsel a report of its findings. Upon receipt of the report the corporation counsel shall, within 60 days, apply to the circuit court for the county in which the dependent person under sub. (1) (a) 1. or the child of a dependent person under sub. (1) (a) 2. resides for an order to compel the maintenance. Upon such an application the corporation counsel shall make a written report to the county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23, with a copy to the chairperson of the county board of supervisors in a county with a single-county department or the county boards of supervisors in counties with a multicounty department, and to the department of health services or the department of children and families, whichever is appropriate.
(2g) In addition to the remedy specified in sub. (2), upon failure of a grandparent to provide maintenance under sub. (1) (a) 2., another grandparent who is or may be required to provide maintenance under sub. (1) (a) 2., a child of a dependent minor or the child's parent may apply to the circuit court for the county in which the child resides for an order to compel the provision of maintenance. A county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23, a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5), or the department of children and families may initiate an action to obtain maintenance of the child by the child's grandparent under sub. (1) (a) 2., regardless of whether the child receives public assistance.
(2r) An action under sub. (2) or (2g) for maintenance of a grandchild by a grandparent may be joined with an action to determine paternity under s. 767.80 (1) or an action for child support under s. 767.001 (1) (f) or (j) or 767.501, or both.
(3) At least 10 days prior to the hearing on the application under sub. (2) or (2g), notice of the hearing shall be served upon the grandparent or other relative who is alleged not to have provided maintenance, in the manner provided for the service of summons in courts of record.
(4) The circuit court shall in a summary way hear the allegations and proofs of the parties and by order require maintenance from these relatives, if they have sufficient ability, considering their own future maintenance and making reasonable allowance for the protection of the property and investments from which they derive their living and their care and protection in old age, in the following order: First the husband or wife; then the father and the mother; and then the grandparents in the instances in which sub. (1) (a) 2. applies. The order shall specify a sum which will be sufficient for the support of the dependent person under sub. (1) (a) 1. or the maintenance of a child of a dependent person under sub. (1) (a) 2., to be paid weekly or monthly, during a period fixed by the order or until the further order of the court. If the court is satisfied that any such relative is unable wholly to maintain the dependent person or the child, but is able to contribute to the person's support or the child's maintenance, the court may direct 2 or more of the relatives to maintain the person or the child and prescribe the proportion each shall contribute. If the court is satisfied that these relatives are unable together wholly to maintain the dependent person or the child, but are able to contribute to the person's support or the child's maintenance, the court shall direct a sum to be paid weekly or monthly by each relative in proportion to ability. Contributions directed by court order, if for less than full support, shall be paid to the department of health services or the department of children and families, whichever is appropriate, and distributed as required by state and federal law. An order under this subsection that relates to maintenance required under sub. (1) (a) 2. shall specifically assign responsibility for and direct the manner of payment of the child's health care expenses, subject to the limitations under subs. (1) (a) 2. and (11). Upon application of any party affected by the order and upon like notice and procedure, the court may modify such an order. Obedience to such an order may be enforced by proceedings for contempt.
(5) Any party aggrieved by such order may appeal therefrom but when the appeal is taken by the authorities having charge of the dependent person an undertaking need not be filed.
(6) If any relative who has been ordered to maintain an institutionalized dependent person or an institutionalized child of a dependent person under 18 years of age neglects to do as ordered, the authorities in charge of the dependent or child or in charge of the institution may recover in an action on behalf of the relief agency or institution for relief or support accorded the dependent person or child against such relative while the order was disobeyed and up to the time of judgment, with costs.
(7) When the income of a responsible relative is such that the relative would be expected to make a contribution to the support of the recipient and such recipient lives in the relative's home and requires care, a reasonable amount may be deducted from the expected contribution in exchange for the care provided.
(9) In any action under this section the court may impose any sum ordered paid by a party as a charge upon any specific real estate of the party liable or may require sufficient security to be given for payment according to the judgment or order.
(10) If an action under this section relates to support or maintenance of a child, to the extent appropriate the court shall determine maintenance or support in the manner in which support is determined under s. 767.511.
(11) Except as provided in sub. (13) (b), the parent of a dependent person who is under the age of 18 and is alleged to be the father of a child is responsible for maintenance of that child only if the paternity of the child has been determined to be that of the dependent person as provided in subch. VIII of ch. 48 or under subch. IX of ch. 767. Subject to the limitations under sub. (1) (a), if a parent of a dependent person is liable for the health care expenses of the dependent person's child under sub. (4), this liability extends to all expenses of the child's medical care and treatment, including those associated with the childbirth, regardless of whether they were incurred prior to the determination of paternity and regardless of whether the determination of paternity is made after the child's father attains 18 years of age, except that the period for which maintenance payment is ordered for the parent of a dependent person may not extend beyond the date on which the dependent person attains 18 years of age. The court may limit the liability of the dependent person's parent for the child's medical expenses if the expenses exceed 5 percent of the parent's federal adjusted gross income for the previous taxable year, if the parent files separately, or 5 percent of the sum of the parents' federal adjusted gross income for the previous taxable year, if the parents file jointly.
(12) The parent of a dependent person who maintains a child of the dependent person under sub. (1) (a) 2. may, after the dependent person attains the age of 18, apply to the circuit court for the county in which the child resides for an order to compel restitution by the dependent person of the amount of maintenance provided to the dependent person's child by that parent. The circuit court shall in a summary way hear the allegations and proof of the parties and, after considering the financial resources and the future ability of the dependent person to pay, may by order specify a sum in payment of the restitution, to be paid weekly or monthly, during a period fixed by the order or until further order of the court. Upon application of any party affected by the order and following notice and an opportunity for presentation of allegations and proof by the parties, the court may modify the order. The parent of the dependent person may file a restitution order with the clerk of circuit court. Upon payment of the fee under s. 814.61 (5) (am) 1., the clerk of circuit court shall enter the order on the judgment and lien docket under s. 806.10 in the same manner as for a judgment in a civil action. Thereafter, the parent of the dependent person may enforce the order against the dependent person in the same manner as for a judgment in a civil action.
(13)
(a) The parent of a dependent person who is the victim of a sexual assault under s. 940.225 (1) (a) for which a conviction is obtained and which results in the birth of a child before the dependent person attains the age of 18 is not responsible under sub. (1) (a) 2. for the maintenance of that child of the dependent person.
(b) If a dependent person is convicted at any time of causing a pregnancy under s. 940.225 (1) (a) which results in the birth of a child before the dependent person attains the age of 18, the parent of that dependent person is solely liable under the requirements of sub. (1) (a) 2. for the maintenance of the dependent person's child.
(c) If the parent of the dependent person specified in par. (a) provides maintenance to the dependent person's child and if par. (b) applies, the parent may apply to the circuit court for the county in which the child resides for an order to compel restitution by the parent specified in par. (b) of the amount of maintenance provided. The circuit court shall in a summary way hear the allegations and proof of the parties and, after considering the financial resources and future ability of the parent of the dependent person specified in par. (b) to pay, may by order specify a sum in payment of the restitution, to be paid weekly or monthly, during a period fixed by the order or until further order of the court. Upon application of any party affected by the order and following notice and an opportunity for presentation of allegations and proof by the parties, the court may modify the order. The parent specified in par. (a) may file a restitution order with the clerk of circuit court. Upon payment of a fee under s. 814.61 (5) (am) 1., the clerk of circuit court shall enter the order on the judgment and lien docket under s. 806.10 in the same manner as for a judgment in a civil action. Thereafter, the parent specified in par. (a) may enforce the order against the parent specified in par. (b) in the same manner as for a judgment in a civil action.
History: 1973 c. 90 ss. 296e, 560 (2); 1973 c. 147, 336; Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 773 (1975); 1975 c. 82, 199; 1977 c. 271, 449; 1979 c. 221, 352; 1981 c. 317; 1983 a. 186; 1985 a. 29 ss. 1055m, 1108 to 1114, 3200 (23); 1985 a. 56, 176, 311, 332; Stats. 1985 s. 49.90; 1987 a. 312 s. 17; 1987 a. 399; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 316; 1995 a. 27 ss. 3216 to 3219b, 9126 (19); 1995 a. 77, 224, 404; 1997 a. 3, 27; 2005 a. 443 s. 265; 2007 a. 20 ss. 1756 to 1758, 9121 (6) (a); 2019 a. 70.
Sub. (1) (a) 2. is a substantive provision and legislative intent indicates it is to have prospective effect only. In re Paternity of C.J.H., 149 Wis. 2d 624, 439 N.W.2d 615 (Ct. App. 1989).
Sub. (1) (a) 1. obligates a spouse to support a dependent spouse who is unable to financially care for him or herself while residing in an institution, but must give way to the more specific terms of s. 49.455 (2) and (3) (a), which are specifically concerned with the allocation of income from a community spouse to an institutionalized spouse receiving medical assistance benefits. Section 49.455 (2) applies in determining eligibility for medical assistance and the required contribution to an institutionalized person's care and s. 49.455 (3) (a) declares that the income of a community spouse is not available to the institutionalized spouse, when, with specific exceptions, a community spouse's income is paid solely to the spouse. Chippewa County Department of Human Services v. Bush, 2007 WI App 184, 305 Wis. 2d 181, 738 N.W.2d 562, 05-1113.

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