Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 766 - Property rights of married persons; marital property.
766.588 - Statutory terminable marital property classification agreement.

766.588 Statutory terminable marital property classification agreement.
(1) Generally.
(a) Spouses may execute an agreement under this section to classify the property of the spouses presently owned and property acquired, reclassified or created in the future, as marital property. Except as provided in this section, s. 766.58 applies to an agreement under this section. The form of the agreement is set forth in sub. (9). Persons intending to marry each other may execute an agreement as if married, but the agreement becomes effective only upon their determination date.
(b) Notwithstanding an agreement under this section:
1. The marital property interest of the nonemployee spouse in a deferred employment benefit plan or in assets in an individual retirement account that are traceable to the rollover of a deferred employment benefit plan terminates at the death of the nonemployee spouse if he or she predeceases the employee spouse; and
2. The marital property interest of a decedent spouse in a life insurance policy which designates the surviving spouse as the owner and insured is limited as provided under s. 766.61 (7).
(c)
1. If property is held as survivorship marital property under s. 766.60 (5) (a) or 766.605 at the time an agreement under this section becomes effective, or if property is held as or acquired as survivorship marital property under s. 766.60 (5) (a) or 766.605 while an agreement is in effect, the property remains survivorship marital property as long as it is so held.
2. A joint tenancy which is held exclusively between the spouses when an agreement under this section becomes effective or while an agreement is in effect is survivorship marital property.
3. A tenancy in common which is held exclusively between the spouses when an agreement under this section becomes effective or while an agreement is in effect is marital property.
4. With respect to a tenancy in common or joint tenancy not described under subds. 2. and 3. in which at least one spouse is a tenant when an agreement under this section becomes effective or while an agreement is in effect, to the extent the incidents of the tenancy in common or joint tenancy conflict with or differ from the incidents of marital property, the incidents of the tenancy in common or of the joint tenancy, including the incident of survivorship, control.
(d)
1. In this paragraph:
a. “Joint account" has the meaning given in s. 705.01 (4).
b. “Marital account" has the meaning given in s. 705.01 (4m).
2. An agreement under this section does not defeat the survivorship feature of a joint account under s. 705.04 (1).
3. An agreement under this section does not affect the ownership, under s. 705.04 (2m), of sums remaining on deposit in a marital account at the death of a party to the account, regardless of when the agreement became effective or the marital account was established.
(2) Execution. An agreement under this section shall be signed by both parties to the agreement. An agreement under this section is executed when the signature of each party to the agreement is authenticated or acknowledged. The agreement executed shall conform to the requirements under sub. (9).
(3) Effective date and effective period.
(a) An agreement under this section is effective when executed or upon the determination date, whichever is later.
(b) If the spouses have not completed the financial disclosure form under sub. (9) before or contemporaneously with execution of the agreement, the agreement terminates 3 years after the date that both spouses have signed the agreement, unless terminated earlier by one of the spouses under sub. (4).
(c) If the spouses have completed the financial disclosure form under sub. (9), the agreement terminates when the terms of the agreement no longer apply after dissolution or the death of a spouse, unless terminated earlier by one of the spouses under sub. (4).
(3m) Limitation on execution of 3-year agreement. If spouses execute an agreement under this section which becomes effective for any period and if the spouses did not complete the financial disclosure form under sub. (9) for that agreement, the spouses may not execute a subsequent agreement under this section for the same marriage unless the financial disclosure form under sub. (9) is completed.
(4) Termination by one spouse.
(a) An agreement under this section terminates 30 days after a notice of termination is given under par. (b) by one spouse to the other spouse. An example of a termination form is set forth in sub. (9).
(b) Notice of termination is given to the other spouse on the date:
1. That a signed termination is personally delivered to the other spouse; or
2. That a signed termination is sent by certified mail to the address of the other spouse last known to the spouse giving notice of termination.
(c) This subsection does not affect the ability to amend, revoke or supplement an agreement under this section by separate marital property agreement under s. 766.58 (4).
(d) With respect to its effect on 3rd parties, a termination under this section shall be treated as a marital property agreement.
(5) Enforceability.
(a) If the spouses do not complete the financial disclosure form under sub. (9), the agreement terminates as provided under sub. (3) (b) and the agreement is enforceable without the disclosure of a spouse's property or financial obligations.
(b) If the spouses complete the financial disclosure form under sub. (9), the maximum duration of the agreement is 3 years after both spouses have signed the agreement if the spouse against whom enforcement is sought proves that the information on the disclosure form did not provide fair and reasonable disclosure, under the circumstances, of the other spouse's property or financial obligations. This paragraph applies notwithstanding the fact that a spouse had notice of the other spouse's property or financial obligations.
(c) Section 766.58 (6) (c) does not apply to an agreement under this section.
(6) Effect on support and divorce. An agreement under this section does not affect any of the following:
(a) The duty of support that spouses otherwise have to each other.
(b) The determination of property division under s. 767.61.
(c) The determination of maintenance payments under s. 767.56.
(7) Other means of classification. This section is not the exclusive means by which spouses may reclassify their property as marital property.
(8) Effect of termination. Termination of an agreement under sub. (3) or (4) does not affect the classification of property acquired before termination. Property acquired after termination is classified as provided under this chapter.
(9) Statutory terminable marital property classification agreement form. The language of a statutory terminable marital property classification agreement form shall be identical to the language included in the form set forth under this subsection. The format of a statutory terminable marital property classification agreement shall be substantially as follows:
Notice to persons who sign this agreement:
1. A PROPERTY LAW KNOWN AS THE MARITAL PROPERTY SYSTEM GOVERNS THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF MARRIED PERSONS IN WISCONSIN. AFTER THE MARITAL PROPERTY SYSTEM APPLIES TO A MARRIED COUPLE, EACH SPOUSE HAS AN UNDIVIDED ONE-HALF OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN PROPERTY, SUCH AS WAGES, DEFERRED EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, LIFE INSURANCE, INCOME FROM PROPERTY AND CERTAIN APPRECIATION OF PROPERTY, THEREAFTER ACQUIRED DURING MARRIAGE DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF EITHER OR BOTH SPOUSES. PROPERTY WHICH IS BROUGHT TO THE MARRIAGE AND PROPERTY WHICH IS ACQUIRED BY ONE SPOUSE DURING THE MARRIAGE BY GIFT OR INHERITANCE IS NOT MARITAL PROPERTY BUT IS SOLELY OWNED BY THE ACQUIRING SPOUSE. THIS AGREEMENT ALTERS THE LAW GOVERNING YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS TO APPRISE YOU, IN VERY GENERAL TERMS, OF SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT ASPECTS AND POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF THIS AGREEMENT. THE INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A PRECISE OR COMPLETE RECITATION OF THE LAW APPLICABLE TO THIS AGREEMENT AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE.
2. BY ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT, YOU HAVE AGREED TO RELINQUISH YOUR RIGHTS TO A SOLE OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN YOUR SOLELY OWNED PROPERTY; HOWEVER, YOU ARE ACQUIRING AUTOMATIC, EQUAL OWNERSHIP RIGHTS, WITH YOUR SPOUSE, TO ALL PROPERTY THAT YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE OWN OR ACQUIRE.
3. THIS AGREEMENT MAY AFFECT:
A. YOUR ACCESS TO CREDIT AND THE PROPERTY AVAILABLE TO SATISFY OBLIGATIONS INCURRED BY YOU OR YOUR SPOUSE.
B. THE ACCUMULATION OF AND THE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF PROPERTY BY YOU DURING YOUR MARRIAGE.
C. THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY YOU HAVE TO DISPOSE OF AT YOUR DEATH.
D. YOUR TAXES.
E. ANY PREVIOUS MARRIAGE AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BY YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE.
4. THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT:
A. AFFECT RIGHTS AT DIVORCE.
B. ALTER THE LEGAL DUTY OF SUPPORT THAT SPOUSES HAVE TO EACH OTHER OR THAT A SPOUSE HAS TO HIS OR HER CHILDREN.
C. BY ITSELF PROVIDE THAT, UPON YOUR DEATH, YOUR MARITAL PROPERTY PASSES TO YOUR SURVIVING SPOUSE. IF THAT IS WHAT YOU INTEND, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE TO DETERMINE WHAT MUST BE DONE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT RESULT.
5. IN GENERAL, THIS AGREEMENT IS NOT BINDING ON CREDITORS UNLESS THE CREDITOR IS FURNISHED A COPY OF THE AGREEMENT BEFORE CREDIT IS EXTENDED. (It is not necessary to furnish a copy of the financial disclosure form.) IN ADDITION, THIRD PARTIES OTHER THAN CREDITORS MIGHT NOT BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT UNLESS THEY HAVE ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT.
6. IF YOU WISH TO AFFECT AN INTEREST IN YOUR REAL PROPERTY WITH THIS AGREEMENT, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO THIRD PARTIES, ADDITIONAL LEGAL PROCEDURES AND FORMALITIES MAY BE REQUIRED. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE EFFECT OF THIS AGREEMENT ON YOUR REAL PROPERTY, YOU ARE URGED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE.
7. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE SCHEDULE “A", “FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE", AND THE AGREEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE, THE AGREEMENT TERMINATES 3 YEARS AFTER THE DATE THAT YOU BOTH HAVE SIGNED THE AGREEMENT AND YOU MAY NOT, EXECUTE A SUBSEQUENT STATUTORY TERMINABLE MARITAL PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION AGREEMENT WITH THE SAME SPOUSE DURING THE SAME MARRIAGE UNLESS YOU COMPLETE THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM. IF YOU INTEND THAT THIS AGREEMENT EXTEND BEYOND 3 YEARS, EACH OF YOU, BEFORE SIGNING THE AGREEMENT, MUST DISCLOSE TO THE OTHER YOUR EXISTING PROPERTY AND YOUR EXISTING FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, BY COMPLETING SCHEDULE “A", “FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE". IF SCHEDULE “A" HAS BEEN FILLED OUT BUT, IN A LEGAL ACTION AGAINST YOU TO ENFORCE THE AGREEMENT, YOU SHOW THAT THE INFORMATION ON SCHEDULE “A" DID NOT PROVIDE YOU WITH FAIR AND REASONABLE DISCLOSURE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE DURATION OF THE AGREEMENT IS 3 YEARS AFTER BOTH PARTIES SIGNED THE AGREEMENT.
8. ONE SPOUSE MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME BY GIVING SIGNED NOTICE OF TERMINATION TO THE OTHER SPOUSE. THE AGREEMENT TERMINATES 30 DAYS AFTER NOTICE IS GIVEN.
9. TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT BY ITSELF CHANGE THE CLASSIFICATION OF PROPERTY CLASSIFIED BY THE AGREEMENT.
10. THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE AMENDED, REVOKED OR SUPPLEMENTED BY A LATER MARITAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT.
11. BOTH PARTIES MUST SIGN THIS AGREEMENT AND THE SIGNATURES MUST BE AUTHENTICATED BY OR ACKNOWLEDGED BEFORE A NOTARY. THE AGREEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE ON THE DATE THAT YOU HAVE BOTH SIGNED IT, THE DATE THAT YOU MARRY, OR THE DATE ON WHICH YOU ARE BOTH DOMICILED IN WISCONSIN, WHICHEVER IS LATER. IF YOU ALTER THE LANGUAGE OF THE AGREEMENT ON THIS FORM THE AGREEMENT WILL NOT CONSTITUTE A STATUTORY TERMINABLE MARITAL PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION AGREEMENT (BUT IT MAY QUALIFY AS A GENERAL MARITAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT UNDER SECTION 766.58, WISCONSIN STATUTES).
12. EACH SPOUSE SHOULD RETAIN A COPY OF THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING ANY DISCLOSURE OF PROPERTY AND OBLIGATIONS, WHILE THE AGREEMENT IS IN EFFECT AND AFTER IT TERMINATES. RETENTION OF A COPY MAY BE IMPORTANT TO PROTECT INTERESTS ACQUIRED UNDER OR AFFECTED BY THE AGREEMENT.
13. IF AFTER ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT ONE OR BOTH OF YOU ESTABLISH A DOMICILE OUTSIDE THIS STATE, YOU ARE URGED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE CONCERNING THE CONTINUED EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Statutory terminable marital Property classification agreement
(Pursuant to Section 766.588, Wisconsin Statutes)
This agreement is entered into by .... and .... (husband and wife) (who intend to marry) (strike one). The parties hereby classify all of the property owned by them when this agreement becomes effective, and property acquired during the term of this agreement, as marital property.
One spouse may terminate this agreement at any time by giving signed notice of termination to the other spouse. Notice of termination by a spouse is given upon personal delivery or when sent by certified mail to the other spouse's last-known address. The agreement terminates 30 days after such notice is given.
The parties (have) (have not) (strike one) completed Schedule “A", “Financial Disclosure", attached to this agreement. If Schedule “A" has not been completed, the duration of this agreement is 3 years after both parties have signed the agreement. If Schedule “A" has been completed, the duration of this agreement is not limited to 3 years after it is signed.
IF THE DURATION OF THIS AGREEMENT IS NOT TO BE LIMITED TO 3 YEARS, MAKE SURE SCHEDULE “A", “FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE", IS COMPLETED AND THAT YOU HAVE REVIEWED THE SCHEDULE BEFORE SIGNING THE AGREEMENT. IF YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE HAVE PREVIOUSLY ENTERED INTO A STATUTORY TERMINABLE MARITAL PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION AGREEMENT WITH EACH OTHER WHICH WAS EFFECTIVE DURING YOUR PRESENT MARRIAGE AND YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE DID NOT COMPLETE SCHEDULE “A", YOU MAY NOT EXECUTE THIS AGREEMENT IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE SCHEDULE “A".
Signature of One Spouse: ....
Date: ....
Print Name Here: ....
Residence Address: ....
(Make Sure Your Signature is Authenticated or Acknowledged Below.)
Authentication
Signature .... authenticated this .... day of ...., .... (year)
*....
TITLE: MEMBER STATE BAR OF WISCONSIN
(If not, .... authorized by s. 706.06, Wis. Stats.)
Acknowledgment
STATE OF WISCONSIN )
) ss.
.... County )
Personally came before me this .... day of ...., .... (year) the above named .... to me known to be the person who executed the foregoing instrument and acknowledge the same.
*....
Notary Public ...., .... County, Wisconsin.
My Commission is permanent.
(If not, state expiration date: ...., .... (year))
(Signatures may be authenticated or
acknowledged. Both are not necessary.)
*Names of persons signing in any capacity should be
typed or printed below their signatures.
Signature of Other Spouse: ....
Date: ....
Print Name Here: ....
Residence Address: ....
(Make Sure Your Signature is Authenticated or Acknowledged Below.)
Authentication
Signature .... authenticated this .... day of ...., .... (year)
*....
TITLE: MEMBER STATE BAR OF WISCONSIN
(If not, .... authorized by s. 706.06, Wis. Stats.)
Acknowledgment
STATE OF WISCONSIN )
) ss.
.... County )
Personally came before me this .... day of ...., .... (year) the above named .... to me known to be the person who executed the foregoing instrument and acknowledge the same.
*....
Notary Public ...., .... County, Wisconsin.
My Commission is permanent.
(If not, state expiration date: ...., .... (year))
(Signatures may be authenticated or
acknowledged. Both are not necessary.)
*Names of persons signing in any capacity should be
typed or printed below their signatures.
Termination of statutory terminable
marital property classification agreement
I UNDERSTAND THAT:
1. THIS TERMINATION TAKES EFFECT 30 DAYS AFTER MY SPOUSE IS NOTIFIED OF THE TERMINATION, AS PROVIDED UNDER SECTION 766.588 (4) OF THE WISCONSIN STATUTES.
2. THIS TERMINATION IS PROSPECTIVE; IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE CLASSIFICATION OF PROPERTY ACQUIRED BEFORE THE TERMINATION BECOMES EFFECTIVE. PROPERTY ACQUIRED AFTER THE TERMINATION BECOMES EFFECTIVE IS CLASSIFIED AS PROVIDED UNDER THE MARITAL PROPERTY LAW.
3. IN GENERAL, THIS TERMINATION IS NOT BINDING ON CREDITORS UNLESS THEY ARE PROVIDED A COPY OF THE TERMINATION BEFORE CREDIT IS EXTENDED.
The undersigned terminates the statutory terminable marital property classification agreement entered into by me and my spouse on .... (date last spouse signed the agreement) under section 766.588 of the Wisconsin Statutes.
Signature: ....
Date: ....
Print Name Here: ....
Residence Address: ....
Schedule “a"
Financial Disclosure
The following general categories of assets and liabilities are not all inclusive and if other assets or liabilities exist they should be listed. Assets should be listed according to which spouse has title (including assets owned by a spouse or the spouses with one or more third parties) and at their approximate market value.
Husband Wife Both Names
I. Assets
A. Real estate (gross value)
B. Stocks, bonds and mutual funds
C. Accounts at and certificates or
other instruments issued by
financial institutions
D. Mortgages, land contracts,
promissory notes and cash
E. Partnership interests
EL. Limited liability company interests.
F. Trust interests
G. Livestock, farm products, crops
H. Automobiles and other vehicles
I. Jewelry and personal effects
J. Household furnishings
K. Life insurance and annuities:
1. Face value
2. Cash surrender value
L. Retirement benefits (include value):
1. Pension plans
2. Profit sharing plans
3. HR-10 KEOGH plans
4. IRAs
5. Deferred compensation plans
M. Other assets not listed elsewhere
II. Obligations (total outstanding balance):
A. Mortgages and liens
B. Credit cards
C. Other obligations to financial
institutions
D. Alimony, maintenance and child
support (per month)
E. Other obligations (such as other obligations
to individuals, guarantees,
contingent liabilities)
III. Annual compensation for services:
(for example, wages and income from self-
employment; also include social security,
disability and similar income here)
(IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL SPACE,
ADD ADDITIONAL SHEETS)
History: 1987 a. 393; 1991 a. 301; 1993 a. 112, 160; 1997 a. 250; 2005 a. 443 s. 265.
NOTE: 1991 Wis. Act 301, contains legislative council notes.