| FUND: GENERAL |
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & COURTS |
Kevin Van Kampen, Family Court Commissioner
The Family Court Commissioner (FCC) is empowered to issue temporary orders in divorce actions. The 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.
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 Division for all actions brought to establish and enforce child support obligations, including all paternity actions. 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 Statutes, 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 located on the fifth floor of the courthouse.
One goal for 2003 is to continue to provide the same level of services in an efficient fashion. One way we have achieved this goal has been by expanding the number of hearings we are conducting at the Western Racine County Service Center. Our office conducts hearings seven one-half days per month at the center.
Another goal was to work with guardians ad litem to facilitate custody and placement disputes in order to avoid contested custody and placement trials. This year, through effective coordination with the guardians, we have maintained our established case timelines despite a 20% increase in placement and custody work. By attempting to resolve placement and custody issues in the early stages of the cases, we have been able to handle the demands created by recently enacted custody laws.
A third goal for 2002 was to work on a daily basis with the Child Support Division to establish, enforce and modify child support.
Our office, along with Child Support, converted 4,500 orders from percentage expressed orders to fixed orders in 2002.
For 2003, we have increased our fee collection efforts by use of the State Income Tax Intercept Program.
We began hearing paternity cases in Burlington in 2003 to reduce travel for parents who live in Western Racine County.
 | Increase our paternity calendar capacity by 50% to reduce the timeline and
increase (possibly double) the number of paternity judgments entered, with the
cooperation of the Racine County Child Support Division. (Renewed Goal). |
| Work with dollar amounts to increase child support collection hearings by
20%. |
| Continue to increase the collections of custody and mediation fees by at
least 10%. Racine County, through the assistance of area legislators,
continues to seek legislative authorization to increase the fees charged for
custody studies from $300 to $500. (Renewed Goal). |
| Work with Child Support Division to reconcile percentage expressed orders – State Mandate |
