Rights of persons alleging paternity

Wis. Stat. § 48.423
in effect
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(1) Rights to paternity determination. If a person appears at the hearing and claims that he is the father of the child, 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 person claiming to be the father of the child of any right to counsel under s. 48.23. The person claiming to be the father of the child must prove paternity by clear and convincing evidence. A person who establishes his paternity of the child under this section may further participate in the termination of parental rights proceeding only if the person meets the conditions specified in sub. (2) or meets a condition specified in s. 48.42 (2) (b) or (bm). (2) Rights of out-of-state fathers. A person who may be the father of a nonmarital child who is not adopted or whose parents do not subsequently intermarry under s. 767.803 and whose paternity has not been established may contest the petition, present evidence relevant to the issue of disposition, and make alternative dispositional recommendations if the person appears at the hearing, establishes paternity under sub. (1), and proves all of the following by a preponderance of the evidence: (a) That the person resides and has resided in another state where the mother of the child resided or was located at the time of or after the conception of the child. (b) That the mother left that state without notifying or informing that person that she could be located in this state. (c) That the person attempted to locate the mother through every reasonable means, but did not know or have reason to know that the mother was residing or located in this state. (d) That the person has complied with the requirements of the state where the mother previously resided or was located to protect and preserve his paternal interests in matters affecting the child.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/48.423Fetched: 10/7/2026