Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 766 - Property rights of married persons; marital property.
766.55 - Obligations of spouses.

766.55 Obligations of spouses.
(1) An obligation incurred by a spouse during marriage, including one attributable to an act or omission during marriage, is presumed to be incurred in the interest of the marriage or the family. A statement separately signed by the obligated or incurring spouse at or before the time the obligation is incurred stating that the obligation is or will be incurred in the interest of the marriage or the family is conclusive evidence that the obligation to which the statement refers is an obligation in the interest of the marriage or family, except that the existence of that statement does not affect any interspousal right or remedy.
(2) After the determination date all of the following apply:
(a) A spouse's obligation to satisfy a duty of support owed to the other spouse or to a child of the marriage may be satisfied only from all marital property and all other property of the obligated spouse.
(b) An obligation incurred by a spouse in the interest of the marriage or the family may be satisfied only from all marital property and all other property of the incurring spouse.
(bm) An obligation incurred by a spouse that is recoverable under s. 46.27 (7g), 2017 stats., or s. 49.496, 49.682, or 49.849 may be satisfied from all property that was the property of that spouse immediately before that spouse's death.
(c)
1. An obligation incurred by a spouse before or during marriage that is attributable to an obligation arising before marriage or to an act or omission occurring before marriage may be satisfied only from property of that spouse that is not marital property and from that part of marital property which would have been the property of that spouse but for the marriage.
2. An obligation incurred by a spouse before, on or after January 1, 1986, that is attributable to an obligation arising before January 1, 1986, or to an act or omission occurring before January 1, 1986, may be satisfied only from property of that spouse that is not marital property and from that part of marital property which would have been the property of that spouse but for the enactment of this chapter.
(cm) An obligation incurred by a spouse during marriage, resulting from a tort committed by the spouse during marriage, may be satisfied from the property of that spouse that is not marital property and from that spouse's interest in marital property.
(d) Any other obligation incurred by a spouse during marriage, including one attributable to an act or omission during marriage, may be satisfied only from property of that spouse that is not marital property and from that spouse's interest in marital property, in that order.
(2m) Unless the dissolution decree or any amendment to the decree so provides, no income of a nonincurring spouse is available for satisfaction of an obligation under sub. (2) (b) after entry of the decree. Marital property assigned to each spouse under that decree is available for satisfaction of such an obligation to the extent of the value of the marital property at the date of the decree. If a dissolution decree provides that the nonincurring spouse is responsible for satisfaction of the obligation, the obligation may be satisfied as if both spouses had incurred the obligation.
(3) This chapter does not alter the relationship between spouses and their creditors with respect to any property or obligation in existence on the determination date. An obligation of a guarantor, surety or indemnitor arising after the determination date under a guaranty or contract of indemnity or surety executed before the determination date is an obligation in existence on the determination date.
(4) Any written consent signed by a creditor which diminishes the rights of the creditor provided in this section is binding on the creditor.
(4m) Except as provided under s. 766.56 (2) (c), no provision of a marital property agreement or of a decree under s. 766.70 adversely affects the interest of a creditor unless the creditor had actual knowledge of that provision when the obligation to that creditor was incurred or, in the case of an open-end plan, as defined under s. 766.555 (1) (a), when the plan was entered into. If a creditor obtains actual knowledge of a provision of a marital property agreement or decree after an obligation is incurred or an open-end plan is entered into, the provision does not adversely affect the interest of the creditor with respect to that obligation or plan, including any renewal, extension, modification or use of the obligation or plan. The effect of this subsection may not be varied by a marital property agreement or a decree. This subsection does not affect the application of ch. 706.
(5) This chapter does not affect the exemption of any property of spouses from availability for satisfaction of an obligation, provided by other law.
(6) Subsections (2) and (2m) and s. 859.18 do not affect the satisfaction of an obligation of a spouse from collateral or other security for that obligation.
(7) Property available under this chapter to satisfy an obligation of a spouse is available regardless of whether the property is located in this state or whether this chapter no longer applies because one or both spouses are no longer domiciled in this state.
(8) After the death of a spouse, property is available for satisfaction of obligations as provided in s. 859.18.
History: 1983 a. 186; 1985 a. 37; 1987 a. 393; 2013 a. 20, 92; 2019 a. 9; 2021 a. 239 s. 74.
Sub. (2) (c) bars the use of marital property income to satisfy pre-marital obligations, including modifications of support or maintenance under ch. 767. In re Marriage of Burger v. Burger, 144 Wis. 2d 514, 424 N.W.2d 691 (1988).
While sub. (2) (c) 2. precludes the state from satisfying a liable family member's pre-marital or pre-Act debt from a non-liable member's income, it does not preclude the department from considering the non-liable member's income in determining the liable member's ability to pay under ch. 46. In Interest of A.L.W. 153 Wis. 2d 412, 451 N.W.2d 416 (1990).
Under sub. (2) (cm) neither an innocent spouse nor an innocent spouse's insurer is liable for the tort obligations of a tortfeasor spouse. Bothe v. American Family Ins. Co., 159 Wis. 2d 378, 464 N.W.2d 109 (Ct. App. 1990).
The presumption that a debt is incurred in the interest of marriage does not apply to an obligation for support under sub. (2) (a), and thus sub. (2m) does not apply to obligations for spousal support. St. Marys Medical Center v. Brody, 186 Wis. 2d 100, 519 N.W.2d 713 (Ct. App. 1994).
The obligation of support is imposed under s. 765.001 and is not relieved simply because s. 766.55 (2) (a) may not apply. Sinai Samaritan Medical Center, Inc. v. McCabe, 197 Wis. 2d 709, 541 N.W.2d 190 (Ct. App. 1995), 95-0012.
The definition of “creditor" under s. 766.01 (2r) does not apply to sub. (4m). A judgment creditor is a creditor for purposes of sub. (4m) and must have notice of the marital property agreement at the time the misconduct resulting in the judgment occurred in order for the agreement to be effective against the creditor. The Journal Sentinel, Inc. v. Schultz, 2001 WI App 260, 248 Wis. 2d 791, 638 N.W.2d 76, 00-2595.
A creditor's right to reach property subject to division in a divorce is not determined by s. 767.255 [now s. 767.61], but is driven solely by the classification into which the obligation falls under this section. A restitution order imposed by a criminal judgment for conversion was an obligation resulting from a tort committed by the incurring spouse under sub. (2) (cm). Whether an obligation resulted from a tort requires examination of the spouse's conduct that gave rise to the claim made. An individual's conduct may constitute a tort without a civil judgment so concluding. Sokaogon Gaming Enterprise v. Curda-Derickson, 2003 WI App 167, 266 Wis. 2d 453, 668 N.W.2d 736, 02-0924.
Necessaries and family purpose debts. Rubenzer. Wis. Law. Oct. 1996.
After the Split: The Marital Property Act's Effects on Debt After Marriage. Pagel. Wis. Law. Nov. 2007.