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The Family Court Commissioner is empowered to issue temporary orders in divorce actions. Parties filing a divorce action must appear before the Family Court Commissioner who issues orders concerning child custody, child support, visitation, and the use of property during the transitional period.
The FCC conducts hearings on all post-judgment motions brought to modify and enforce custody and child support orders, domestic abuse injunction hearings, all divorce pre-trials and most stipulated divorces.
Court commissioner hearings and clerical support are provided to the Racine County Child Support System for all actions brought to establish and enforce child support obligations including all paternity actions. Beginning May 2000, this office also began entering orders in all paternity cases for custody and placement pursuant to legislation passed in 2000.
By the provisions of Sec. 767.11 Stats., this office also operates the Family Court Counseling Service of Racine
County. Mediation and evaluation services are provided in child custody and child placement disputes by the
Family Court Social Workers, whose offices are located on the fifth floor of the courthouse.
Continue to provide the same level of services in a efficient fashion which is characteristic of the office and offer significant assistance to the Family Court system and those who are served.
Work with the Guardians ad litem to facilitate custody and placement disputes that arise in the family court system to avoid contested custody and placement trials by using the teamwork approach.
Work in conjunction with the Family Court Division of the Clerk of Courts Office to manage the caseload and court calendars of the family court system to achieve an efficient and responsive family court system.
Work on a daily basis with the Racine Co. Child Support Dept. to establish, enforce and modify child support.
Incorporate into practice the new demands placed on the family court system by the provisions of 1999 Act 9 which deal with presumptive joint custody and significant increases in shared placement of children.
Began the implementation of 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, which imposed on the family court system a requirement that custody and placement orders be entered in all paternity cases. This required a coordinated effort with Racine County Child Support and the Guardians ad litem.
Implemented a policy, in all cases where parents are disputing placement and custody of their children, requiring those parents to attend the court-ordered Parent Education Program. This program has now expanded to provide additional education for parents with shared placement arrangements. We also began implementing a Parent Education Program for never married parents.
Created a separate Family Court Handbook for persons involved in paternity cases.
Continued to increase the collection of custody and mediation fees by over 10%. Racine County, through the assistance of area legislators, did obtain language in the budget bill to increase the fees charged for custody studies. However, the increase was vetoed and did not become law.
Increased our reimbursement from the State for the child support functions performed by our staff.
Began to use transmission by FAX on stipulated documents involving the Child Support Agency.
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