766.03(2)
(2) After this chapter first applies to spouses, it continues to apply to spouses during marriage.
Section 766.75 applies after a dissolution. If at the time of the death of a spouse both spouses are domiciled in this state, the provisions of this chapter which have application after the death of a spouse apply.
766.03(3)
(3) The cessation of the application of this chapter because a spouse is no longer domiciled in this state does not by itself affect any property, right, interest or remedy acquired under this chapter by either spouse or by a 3rd party or the satisfaction of any obligation incurred by a spouse under this chapter.
766.03(4)
(4) Section 766.97 applies to a spouse in this state whether or not that person is domiciled in this state.
766.03(5)
(5) Any property, right, interest or remedy of a spouse or 3rd party acquired or property that is available to satisfy an obligation incurred on or after January 1, 1986, and before May 3, 1988, shall not be adversely affected by
1987 Wisconsin Act 393, sections 10,
11,
15,
16,
27,
29 and
32.
766.03(6)
(6) This chapter does not affect the property available to satisfy an obligation incurred by a spouse that is attributable to an obligation arising when one or both spouses are not domiciled in this state or to an act or omission occurring when one or both spouses are not domiciled in this state.
766.03 History
History: 1987 a. 393;
1991 a. 301.
766.03 Note
NOTE: 1991 Wis. Act 301, which affected this section, contains extensive legislative council notes.
766.15
766.15
Responsibility between spouses. 766.15(1)
(1) Each spouse shall act in good faith with respect to the other spouse in matters involving marital property or other property of the other spouse. This obligation may not be varied by a marital property agreement.
766.15(2)
(2) Management and control by a spouse of that spouse's property that is not marital property in a manner that limits, diminishes or fails to produce income from that property does not violate
sub. (1).
766.15 History
History: 1983 a. 186.
766.15 Annotation
Intentional misrepresentation is a breach of the duty of good faith for which the exclusive pre-divorce remedy is s. 766.70 (1). Gardner v. Gardner,
175 Wis. 2d 420,
499 N.W.2d 266 (Ct. App. 1993).
766.17
766.17
Variation by marital property agreement. 766.17(2)
(2) Section 859.18 (6) governs the effect of a marital property agreement upon property available for satisfaction of obligations after the death of a spouse.
766.17 History
History: 1983 a. 186;
1985 a. 37.
766.31
766.31
Classification of property of spouses. 766.31(1)
(1) All property of spouses is marital property except that which is classified otherwise by this chapter and that which is described in
sub. (8).
766.31(2)
(2) All property of spouses is presumed to be marital property.
766.31(3)
(3) Each spouse has a present undivided one-half interest in each item of marital property, but 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.
766.31(4)
(4) Except as provided under
subs. (7) (a),
(7p) and
(10), income earned or accrued by a spouse or attributable to property of a spouse during marriage and after the determination date is marital property.
766.31(5)
(5) The transfer of property to a trust does not by itself change the classification of the property.
766.31(6)
(6) Property owned at a marriage which occurs after 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 1986, is individual property of the owning spouse if, at the marriage, both spouses are domiciled in this state.
766.31(7)
(7) Property acquired by a spouse during marriage and after the determination date is individual property if acquired by any of the following means:
766.31(7)(a)
(a) By gift during lifetime or by a disposition at death by a 3rd person to that spouse and not to both spouses. A distribution of principal or income from a trust created by a 3rd person to one spouse is the individual property of that spouse unless the trust provides otherwise.
766.31(7)(b)
(b) In exchange for or with the proceeds of other individual property of the spouse.
766.31(7)(c)
(c) From appreciation of the spouse's individual property except to the extent that the appreciation is classified as marital property under
s. 766.63.
766.31(7)(d)
(d) By a decree, marital property agreement or reclassification under
sub. (10) designating it as the individual property of the spouse.
766.31(7)(e)
(e) As a recovery for damage to property under
s. 766.70, except as specifically provided otherwise in a decree or marital property agreement.
766.31(7)(f)
(f) As a recovery for personal injury except for the amount of that recovery attributable to expenses paid or otherwise satisfied from marital property and except for the amount attributable to loss of income during marriage.
766.31(7p)
(7p) Income attributable to all or specified property other than marital property, with respect to which a spouse has executed under
s. 766.59 a statement unilaterally designating that income as his or her individual property, is individual property.
766.31(8)
(8) Except as provided otherwise in this chapter, the enactment of this chapter does not alter the classification and ownership rights of property acquired before the determination date or the classification and ownership rights of property acquired after the determination date in exchange for or with the proceeds of property acquired before the determination date.
766.31(9)
(9) Except as provided otherwise in this chapter and except to the extent that it would affect the spouse's ownership rights in the property existing before the determination date, during marriage the interest of a spouse in property owned immediately before the determination date is treated as if it were individual property.
766.31(10)
(10) Spouses may reclassify their property by gift, conveyance, as defined in
s. 706.01 (4), signed by both spouses, marital property agreement, written consent under
s. 766.61 (3) (e) or unilateral statement under
s. 766.59 and, if the property is a security, as defined in
s. 705.21 (11), by an instrument, signed by both spouses, which conveys an interest in the security. If a spouse gives property to the other spouse and intends at the time the gift is made that the property be the individual property of the donee spouse, the income from the property is the individual property of the donee spouse unless a contrary intent of the donor spouse regarding the classification of income is established.
766.31 Note
NOTE: 1991 Wis. Act 301, which affected this section, contains extensive legislative council notes.
766.31 Annotation
Marital property presumptions and tracing principals applied. In Mater of Estate of Lloyd,
170 Wis. 2d 240,
487 N.W.2d 644 (Ct. App. 1992).
766.31 Annotation
The marital property law does not reduce a non-negligent mother's wrongful death recovery for the father's contributory negligence in their child's death. Smith v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co.
192 Wis. 2d 322,
531 N.W.2d 376 (Ct. App. 1995).
766.31 Annotation
A quitclaim deed of a married couple's homestead from one spouse to the other is not valid to alienate the grantor's interest in the property in any way that would eliminate either spouse's contractual obligations under a mortgage containing a valid dragnet clause. Schmidt v. Waukesha State Bank,
204 Wis. 2d 426,
555 N.W.2d 655 (Ct. App. 1996).
766.31 Annotation
The termination under sub. (3) of a marital property interest in pension benefits did not prevent the application of the equitable principle that a murderer should not be permitted to profit from the crime. The trial court acted properly in imposing a constructive on the decedent's marital property interest in the murderer's pension benefits. Estate of Hackl v. Hackl,
231 Wis. 2d 43,
605 N.W.2d 579 (Ct. App. 1999).
766.31 Annotation
Irreconcilable differences: Income from separate property under divorce law and under Wisconsin's marital property act. Bascom. 70 MLR 41 (1986).
766.31 Annotation
The effects of the Wisconsin marital property act on trusts: Whose property is it? Kusky, WBB March, 1985.
766.51
766.51
Management and control of property of spouses. 766.51(1)(1) A spouse acting alone may manage and control:
766.51(1)(a)
(a) That spouse's property that is not marital property.
766.51(1)(am)
(am) Except as provided in
subs. (2) and
(3), marital property held in that spouse's name alone or not held in the name of either spouse.
766.51(1)(b)
(b) Marital property held in the names of both spouses in the alternative, including marital property held in a form designating the holder by the words "(name of one spouse) or (name of other spouse)".
766.51(1)(d)
(d) A policy of insurance if that spouse is designated as the owner on the records of the policy issuer.
766.51(1)(e)
(e) Any right of an employee under a deferred employment benefit plan that accrues as a result of that spouse's employment.
766.51(1)(f)
(f) A claim for relief vested in that spouse by other law.
766.51(1m)(a)(a) Notwithstanding any provision in this section except
par. (b), for the purpose of obtaining an extension of credit for an obligation described under
s. 766.55 (2) (b), a spouse acting alone may manage and control all of the marital property.
766.51(1m)(b)
(b) Unless the spouse acting alone may otherwise under this section manage and control the property, the right to manage and control marital property under this subsection does not include the right to manage and control marital property described in
s. 766.70 (3) (a) to
(d) or the right to assign, create a security interest in, mortgage or otherwise encumber marital property.
766.51(2)
(2) Spouses may manage and control marital property held in the names of both spouses other than in the alternative only if they act together.
766.51(3)
(3) The right to manage and control marital property transferred to a trust is determined by the terms of the trust.
766.51(4)
(4) The right to manage and control marital property permits gifts of that property, subject to remedies under this chapter.
766.51(5)
(5) The right to manage and control marital property does not determine the classification of property of the spouses and does not rebut the presumption under
s. 766.31 (2).
766.51(6)
(6) The enactment of this chapter does not affect the right to manage and control any property of either or both spouses acquired before the determination date.
766.51(7)
(7) A court may appoint a conservator or guardian under
ch. 880 to exercise a disabled spouse's right to manage and control marital property.
766.51(9)
(9) If an executory contract for the sale of property is entered into by a person having the right of management and control of the property, the rights of all persons then having or thereafter acquiring an interest in the property under this chapter are subject to the terms of the executory contract. This subsection applies to contracts entered into before or after the determination date.
766.51(10)
(10) At the death of a spouse if property described under
s. 766.70 (3) (a),
(b) or
(d) is held by either spouse, but not in the names of both spouses, such property may be subject to the management and control of the holding spouse as provided under
s. 857.015.
766.53
766.53
Gifts of marital property to 3rd persons. A spouse acting alone may give to a 3rd person marital property that the spouse has the right to manage and control only if the value of the marital property given to the 3rd person does not aggregate more than either $1,000 in a calendar year, or a larger amount if, when made, the gift is reasonable in amount considering the economic position of the spouses. Any other gift of marital property to a 3rd person is subject to
s. 766.70 (6) unless both spouses act together in making the gift. Under this section and for the purpose of
s. 766.70 (6) (a), in the case of a gift of marital property by a spouse to a 3rd person in which the donor spouse has retained an interest, the gift shall be valued at the full value of the entire transfer of marital property, regardless of any retained interest or interest donated to the other spouse. For purposes of this section only, a gift of a life insurance policy by a spouse to a 3rd person shall be valued at the amount payable under the policy if the insured died at the time the gift was made.
766.53 History
History: 1983 a. 186;
1985 a. 37.
766.55
766.55
Obligations of spouses. 766.55(1)
(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.
766.55(2)
(2) After the determination date all of the following apply:
766.55(2)(a)
(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.
766.55(2)(b)
(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.
766.55(2)(c)1.1. 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.
766.55(2)(c)2.
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.
766.55(2)(cm)
(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.
766.55(2)(d)
(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.
766.55(2m)
(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.
766.55(3)
(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.
766.55(4)
(4) Any written consent signed by a creditor which diminishes the rights of the creditor provided in this section is binding on the creditor.
766.55(4m)
(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.
766.55(5)
(5) This chapter does not affect the exemption of any property of spouses from availability for satisfaction of an obligation, provided by other law.
766.55(6)
(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.
766.55(7)
(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.
766.55(8)
(8) After the death of a spouse, property is available for satisfaction of obligations as provided in
s. 859.18.
766.55 Annotation
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).
766.55 Annotation
While sub. (2) (c) 2. precludes the a 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 Chapter 46. In Interest of A.L.W.
153 Wis. 2d 412,
451 N.W.2d 416 (1990).
766.55 Annotation
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).
766.55 Annotation
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).
766.55 Annotation
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).
