48.42(4)(a)(a) Personal service. A copy of the summons and petition shall be served personally upon the parties specified in
sub. (2), if known, at least 7 days before the date of the hearing, except that service of summons is not required if the party submits to the jurisdiction of the court. Service upon parties who are not natural persons and upon persons under a disability shall be as prescribed in
s. 801.11.
48.42(4)(b)1.1. If with reasonable diligence a party specified in
sub. (2) cannot be served under
par. (a), service shall be made by publication of the notice under
subd. 4.
48.42(4)(b)2.
2. If the child is a nonmarital child who is not adopted or whose parents do not subsequently intermarry under
s. 767.60 and paternity has not been acknowledged under
s. 767.62 (1) or a substantially similar law of another state or adjudicated, the court may, as provided in
s. 48.422 (6) (b), order publication of a notice under
subd. 4.
48.42(4)(b)3.
3. At the time the petition is filed, the petitioner may move the court for an order waiving the requirement of constructive notice to a person who, although his identity is unknown, may be the father of a nonmarital child.
48.42(4)(b)4.
4. A notice published under this subsection shall be published as a class 1 notice under
ch. 985. In determining which newspaper is likely to give notice as required under
s. 985.02 (1), the petitioner or court shall consider the residence of the party, if known, or the residence of the relatives of the party, if known, or the last-known location of the party. If the party's post-office address is known or can, with due diligence, be ascertained, a copy of the summons and petition shall be mailed to the party upon or immediately prior to the first publication. The mailing may be omitted if the petitioner shows that the post-office address cannot be obtained with due diligence. Except as provided in
subd. 5., the notice shall include the date, place and circuit court branch for the hearing, the court file number, the name, address and telephone number of the petitioner's attorney and information the court determines to be necessary to give effective notice to the party or parties. Such information shall include the following, if known:
48.42(4)(b)4.a.
a. The name of the party or parties to whom notice is being given;
48.42(4)(b)4.d.
d. The approximate date and place of conception of the child; and
48.42(4)(b)5.
5. The notice shall not include the name of the mother unless the mother consents. The notice shall not include the name of the child unless the court finds that inclusion of the child's name is essential to give effective notice to the father.
48.42(4)(c)1.
1. That the parental rights of a parent or alleged parent who fails to appear may be terminated;
48.42(4)(c)2.
2. Of the party's right to have an attorney present and that if a person desires to contest termination of parental rights and believes that he or she cannot afford an attorney, the person may ask the state public defender to represent him or her; and
48.42(4)(c)3.
3. That if the court terminates parental rights, a notice of intent to pursue relief from the judgment must be filed in the trial court within 30 days after judgment is entered for the right to pursue such relief to be preserved.
Effective date note
Judicial Council Note, 1986: Subs. (3) (d) and (4) (c) are amended to require notice to the parties of the time and manner for initiating an appeal from a judgment terminating parental rights. [Re Order eff. 7-1-87]
48.42 Annotation
Guardianship and TPR proceedings are custody proceedings, guardianship and TPR determinations are custody determinations and guardianship and TPR determinations are custody decrees, all governed by ch. 822. In Interest of A.E.H. 161 W (2d) 277, 468 NW (2d) 190 (1991).
48.42 Annotation
Sub. (2m) denies a putative father standing to contest the alleged grounds for termination where the child was conceived as the result of sexual assault. Termination of Parental Rights to A. M. 176 W (2d) 673, 500 NW (2d) 649 (1993).
48.42 Annotation
Sub. (2) (d) requires consideration in each case whether ch. 822 applies, but does not require the application of ch. 822 to intrastate cases. In Interest of Brandon S.S. 179 W (2d) 114, 507 NW (2d) 94 (1993).
48.42 Annotation
Sub. (2) is the exclusive statute for determining what parties may be summoned; intervention under s. 803.09 does not apply. In Interest of Brandon S.S. 179 W (2d) 114, 507 NW (2d) 94 (1993).
48.42 Annotation
Sexual assault under sub. (2m) does not include a violation of s. 948.09, sexual intercourse with a child age 16 or older. Paternity of Michael A.T. 182 W (2d) 395, 513 NW (2d) 669 (Ct. App. 1994).
48.422
48.422
Hearing on the petition. 48.422(1)
(1) The hearing on the petition to terminate parental rights shall be held within 30 days after the petition is filed. At the hearing on the petition to terminate parental rights the court shall determine whether any party wishes to contest the petition and inform the parties of their rights under
sub. (4) and
s. 48.423.
48.422(2)
(2) If the petition is contested the court shall set a date for a fact-finding hearing to be held within 45 days of the hearing on the petition, unless all of the necessary parties agree to commence with the hearing on the merits immediately.
48.422(3)
(3) If the petition is not contested the court shall hear testimony in support of the allegations in the petition, including testimony as required in
sub. (7).
48.422(4)
(4) Any party who is necessary to the proceeding or whose rights may be affected by an order terminating parental rights shall be granted a jury trial upon request if the request is made before the end of the initial hearing on the petition.
48.422(5)
(5) Any nonpetitioning party, including the child, shall be granted a continuance of the hearing for the purpose of consulting with an attorney on the request for a jury trial or concerning a request for the substitution of a judge.
48.422(6)(a)(a) If the child is a nonmarital child who is not adopted or whose parents do not subsequently intermarry under
s. 767.60 and paternity has not been established, the court shall hear testimony concerning the paternity of the child. Based on the testimony, the court shall determine whether all interested parties who are known have been notified under
s. 48.42 (2). If not, the court shall adjourn the hearing and order appropriate notice to be given.
48.422(6)(b)
(b) If the court determines that an unknown person may be the father of the child and notice to that person has not been waived under
s. 48.42 (4) (b) 3., the court shall determine whether constructive notice will substantially increase the likelihood of notice to that person. If the court does determine that it would substantially increase the likelihood of notice and the petitioner has not already caused the notice to be published or the court determines that the publication used was not sufficient, the court shall adjourn the hearing for a period not to exceed 30 days and shall order constructive notice under
s. 48.42 (4) (b). If the court determines that constructive notice will not substantially increase the likelihood of notice to that person, the court shall order that the hearing proceed.
48.422(6)(c)
(c) If paternity is adjudicated under this subchapter and parental rights are not terminated, the court may make and enforce such orders for the suitable care, custody and support of the child as a court having jurisdiction over actions affecting the family may make under
ch. 767. If there is a finding by the court that the child is in need of protection or services, the court may make dispositional orders under
s. 48.345.
48.422(7)
(7) Before accepting an admission of the alleged facts in a petition, the court shall:
48.422(7)(a)
(a) Address the parties present and determine that the admission is made voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the acts alleged in the petition and the potential dispositions.
48.422(7)(b)
(b) Establish whether any promises or threats were made to elicit an admission and alert all unrepresented parties to the possibility that a lawyer may discover defenses or mitigating circumstances which would not be apparent to them.
48.422(7)(bm)
(bm) Establish whether a proposed adoptive parent of the child has been identified. If a proposed adoptive parent of the child has been identified and the proposed adoptive parent is not a relative of the child, the court shall order the petitioner to submit a report to the court containing the information specified in
s. 48.913 (7). The court shall review the report to determine whether any payments or agreement to make payments set forth in the report are coercive to the birth parent of the child or to an alleged to presumed father of the child or are impermissible under
s. 48.913 (4). Making any payment to or on behalf of the birth parent of the child, an alleged or presumed father of the child or the child conditional in any part upon transfer or surrender of the child or the termination of parental rights or the finalization of the adoption creates a rebuttable presumption of coercion. Upon a finding of coercion, the court shall dismiss the petition or amend the agreement to delete any coercive conditions, if the parties agree to the amendment. Upon a finding that payments which are impermissible under
s. 48.913 (4) have been made, the court may dismiss the petition and may refer the matter to the district attorney for prosecution under
s. 948.24 (1). This paragraph does not apply if the petition was filed with a petition for adoptive placement under
s. 48.837 (2).
48.422(7)(c)
(c) Make such inquiries as satisfactorily establish that there is a factual basis for the admission.
48.422(8)
(8) If the petition for termination of parental rights is filed by an agency enumerated in
s. 48.069 (1) or
(2), the court shall order the agency to submit a report to the court as provided in
s. 48.425.
48.422(9)(a)(a) If a petition for termination of the rights of a birth parent, as defined under
s. 48.432 (1) (am), is filed by a person other than an agency enumerated under
s. 48.069 (1) or
(2) or if the court waives the report required under
s. 48.425, the court shall order any parent whose rights may be terminated to file with the court the information specified under
s. 48.425 (1) (am).
48.422(9)(b)
(b) If a birth parent does not comply with
par. (a), the court shall order any health care provider as defined under
s. 146.81 (1) known to have provided care to the birth parent or parents to provide the court with any health care records of the birth parent or parents that are relevant to the child's medical condition or genetic history. A court order for the release of alcohol or drug abuse treatment records subject to
21 USC 1175 or
42 USC 4582 shall comply with
42 CFR 2.
48.422 Annotation
The court erred by failing to inform parents of right to jury trial and to representation by counsel. In re Termination of Parental Rights to M. A. M. 116 W (2d) 432, 342 NW (2d) 410 (1984).
48.422 Annotation
Concurrent TPR/adoption proceedings under s. 48.835 are subject to the requirement under s. 48.422 that the initial hearing be held within 30 days of filing the petition. In re J.L.F. 168 W (2d) 634, 484 NW (2d) 359 (Ct. App. 1992).
48.422 Annotation
A court's failure to inform parents of their rights under this section is not reversible error absent prejudice to the parents. Interest of Robert D. 181 W (2d) 887, 512 NW (2d) 227 (Ct. App. 1994).
48.422 Annotation
Due process does not require appointment of counsel for indigent parents in every parental status termination proceeding. Lassiter v. Dept. of Social Services, 452 US 18 (1981).
48.423
48.423
Rights of persons alleging paternity. If a man who alleges that he is the father of the child appears at the hearing and wishes to contest the termination of his parental rights, the court shall set a date for a hearing on the issue of paternity or, if all parties agree, the court may immediately commence hearing testimony concerning the issue of paternity. The court shall inform the man claiming to be the father of the child of any right to counsel under
s. 48.23. The man claiming to be the father of the child must prove paternity by clear and convincing evidence.
48.423 History
History: 1979 c. 330.
48.423 Annotation
Putative father's right to custody of his child. 1971 WLR 1262.
48.424
48.424
Fact-finding hearing. 48.424(1)
(1) The purpose of the fact-finding hearing is to determine whether grounds exist for the termination of parental rights in those cases where the termination was contested at the hearing on the petition under
s. 48.422.
48.424(2)
(2) The fact-finding hearing shall be conducted according to the procedure specified in
s. 48.31 except that:
48.424(2)(a)
(a) The court may exclude the child from the hearing; and
48.424(3)
(3) If the facts are determined by a jury, the jury may only decide whether any grounds for the termination of parental rights have been proven. The court shall decide what disposition is in the best interest of the child.
48.424(4)
(4) If grounds for the termination of parental rights are found by the court or jury, the court shall find the parent unfit. A finding of unfitness shall not preclude a dismissal of a petition under
s. 48.427 (2). The court shall then proceed immediately to hear evidence and motions related to the dispositions enumerated in
s. 48.427. The court may delay making the disposition and set a date for a dispositional hearing no later than 45 days after the fact-finding hearing if:
48.424(4)(b)
(b) The court has not yet received a report to the court on the history of the child as provided in
s. 48.425 from an agency enumerated in
s. 48.069 (1) or
(2) and the court now directs the agency to prepare this report to be considered before the court makes the disposition on the petition.
48.424(5)
(5) If the court delays making a permanent disposition under
sub. (4), it may transfer temporary custody of the child to an agency for placement of the child until the dispositional hearing.
48.424 History
History: 1979 c. 330;
1987 a. 383.
48.424 Annotation
The court erred by instructing the jury that the jury determines whether parental rights are to be terminated. Interest of C.E.W. 124 W (2d) 47, 368 NW (2d) 47 (1985).
48.425
48.425
Court report by an agency. 48.425(1)
(1) If the petition for the termination of parental rights is filed by an agency, or if the court orders a report under
s. 48.424 (4) (b), the agency shall file a report with the court which shall include:
48.425(1)(am)
(am) A medical record of the child on a form provided by the department which shall include:
48.425(1)(am)1.
1. The medical and genetic history of the birth parents and any medical and genetic information furnished by the birth parents about the child's grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters.
48.425(1)(am)2.
2. A report of any medical examination which either birth parent had within one year before the date of the petition.
48.425(1)(am)3.
3. A report describing the child's prenatal care and medical condition at birth.
48.425(1)(am)4.
4. The medical and genetic history of the child and any other relevant medical and genetic information.
48.425(1)(b)
(b) A statement of the facts supporting the need for termination.
48.425(1)(c)
(c) If the child has been previously adjudicated to be in need of protection and services, a statement of the steps the agency or person responsible for provision of services has taken to remedy the conditions responsible for court intervention and the parent's response to and cooperation with these services. If the child has been removed from the home, the report should also include a statement of the reasons why the child cannot be returned safely to the family, and the steps the person or agency has taken to effect this return.
48.425(1)(d)
(d) A statement of other appropriate services, if any, which might allow the child to return safely to the home of the parent.
48.425(1)(e)
(e) A statement applying the standards and factors enumerated in
s. 48.426 (2) and
(3) to the case before the court.
48.425(1)(f)
(f) If the report recommends that the parental rights of both of the child's parents or the child's only living or known parent are to be terminated, the report shall contain a statement of the likelihood that the child will be adopted. This statement shall be prepared by an agency designated in
s. 48.427 (3m) (a) 1. to
4. and include a presentation of the factors which might prevent adoption, those which would facilitate it, and the agency which would be responsible for accomplishing the adoption.
48.425(1)(g)
(g) If an agency designated under
s. 48.427 (3m) (a) 1. to
4. determines that it is unlikely that the child will be adopted, or if adoption would not be in the best interests of the child, the report shall include a plan for placing the child in a permanent family setting. The plan shall include a recommendation as to the agency to be named guardian of the child or a recommendation that the person appointed as the guardian of the child under
s. 48.977 (2) continue to be the guardian of the child.
48.425(1m)
(1m) The agency required under
sub. (1) to file the report shall prepare the medical record within 60 days after the date of the petition for the termination of parental rights.
48.425(2)
(2) The court may waive the report required under this section if consent is given under
s. 48.41, but shall order the birth parent or parents to provide the department with the information specified under
sub. (1) (am).
48.425(3)
(3) The court may order a report as specified under this section to be prepared by an agency in those cases where the petition is filed by someone other than an agency.
48.426
48.426
Standard and factors. 48.426(1)
(1)
Court considerations. In making a decision about the appropriate disposition under
s. 48.427, the court shall consider the standard and factors enumerated in this section and any report submitted by an agency under
s. 48.425.
48.426(2)
(2) Standard. The best interests of the child shall be the prevailing factor considered by the court in determining the disposition of all proceedings under this subchapter.
48.426(3)
(3) Factors. In considering the best interests of the child under this section the court shall consider but not be limited to the following:
48.426(3)(a)
(a) The likelihood of the child's adoption after termination.
48.426(3)(b)
(b) The age and health of the child, both at the time of the disposition and, if applicable, at the time the child was removed from the home.
48.426(3)(c)
(c) Whether the child has substantial relationships with the parent or other family members, and whether it would be harmful to the child to sever these relationships.
48.426(3)(e)
(e) The duration of the separation of the parent from the child.
