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Date: 07-16-2024
Case Style:
In re the marriage of: Romero Coleman v. Rebecca A. Coleman
Case Number: 2021FS149
Judge: Thomas J. Walsh
Court: Circuit Court, Brown County, Wisconsin
Plaintiff's Attorney:
Defendant's Attorney:
Description:
Green Bay, Wisconsin divorce lawyers represented Petitioner and Respondent.
The parties were married in October 2004. Romero petitioned for divorce on February 22, 2021. At the time of filing, the parties had two minor children, ages seventeen and fourteen.
A contested final divorce hearing took place over three days during June, August, and September of 2022. By that time, the parties' older child was no longer a minor. The parties reached an agreement as to the legal custody and physical placement of their remaining minor child, and the circuit court adopted that agreement. The disputed issues at the contested hearing pertained to maintenance, child support, and the division of the parties' property.
The circuit court entered a written decision and order addressing those issues on December 15, 2022, and it subsequently entered a judgment of divorce incorporating that decision. As relevant to this appeal, the court ordered Romero to pay Rebecca $124 per month in child support, commencing on January 1, 2023. The court equally divided the parties' assets and debts and ordered Romero to make an equalization payment of $48,304.25 to Rebecca.
Rebecca now appeals, arguing that the circuit court erred in seven ways with respect to calculating the amount due to her for child support and the division of the parties' property. Additional facts are included below as necessary to our discussion of Rebecca's arguments.
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In re Marriage of Coleman, Appeal 2023AP21 (Wis. App. Jul 16, 2024)
Outcome: In summary, we affirm that portion of the circuit court's judgment addressing the division of the parties' marital estate. However, we reverse that portion of the judgment setting Romero's child support obligation, and we remand for the court to readdress that issue, specifically considering the amount of Rebecca's income at the time of the divorce. On remand, the court shall also address which party may claim Rebecca and Romero's minor child as a dependent for income tax purposes.
No costs to either party.
Judgment affirmed in part; reversed in part and cause remanded with directions.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: