Right to counsel
Wis. Stat. § 48.23
in effect(1g) Definition. In this section, “counsel” means an attorney acting as adversary counsel who shall advance and protect the legal rights of the party represented, and who may not act as guardian ad litem or court-appointed special advocate for any party in the same proceeding.
(1m) Right of children to legal representation. Children subject to proceedings under this chapter shall be afforded legal representation as follows:
(a) Any child held in a juvenile detention facility shall be represented by counsel at all stages of the proceedings, but a child 15 years of age or older may waive counsel if the court is satisfied that the waiver is knowingly and voluntarily made and the court accepts the waiver.
(b)
1. If a child is alleged to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.13, the child may be represented by counsel at the discretion of the court. Except as provided in subd. 2., a child 15 years of age or older may waive counsel if the court is satisfied such waiver is knowingly and voluntarily made and the court accepts the waiver.
2. If the petition is contested, the court may not place the child outside his or her home unless the child is represented by counsel at the fact-finding hearing and subsequent proceedings. If the petition is not contested, the court may not place the child outside his or her home unless the child is represented by counsel at the hearing at which the placement is made. For a child under 12 years of age, the judge may appoint a guardian ad litem instead of counsel.
(c) Any child subject to the jurisdiction of the court under s. 48.14 (5) shall be represented by counsel. No waiver of counsel may be accepted by the court.
(cm) Any minor who is subject to the jurisdiction of the circuit court under s. 48.16 and who is required to appear in court shall be represented by counsel.
(2) Right of parent to counsel.
(a) Except as provided in sub. (2g), a minor parent petitioning for a voluntary termination of parental rights shall be represented by a guardian ad litem.
(b) In a proceeding involving a contested adoption or an involuntary termination of parental rights, any parent who appears before the court shall be represented by counsel, except as follows:
1. A parent 18 years of age or over may waive counsel if the court is satisfied that the waiver is knowingly and voluntarily made.
2. A parent under 18 years of age may not waive counsel.
3. Notwithstanding subd. 1., a parent 18 years of age or over is presumed to have waived his or her right to counsel and to appear by counsel if the court has ordered the parent to appear in person at any or all subsequent hearings in the proceeding, the parent fails to appear in person as ordered, and the court finds that the parent’s conduct in failing to appear in person was egregious and without clear and justifiable excuse. Failure by a parent 18 years of age or over to appear in person at consecutive hearings as ordered is presumed to be conduct that is egregious and without clear and justifiable excuse. If the court finds that a parent’s conduct in failing to appear in person as ordered was egregious and without clear and justifiable excuse, the court may not hold a dispositional hearing on the contested adoption or involuntary termination of parental rights until at least 2 days have elapsed since the date of that finding.
(c) In a proceeding to vacate or reconsider a default judgment granted in an involuntary termination of parental rights proceeding, a parent who has waived counsel under par. (b) 1. or who is presumed to have waived counsel under par. (b) 3. in the involuntary termination of parental rights proceeding shall be represented by counsel, unless in the proceeding to vacate or reconsider the default judgment the parent waives counsel as provided in par. (b) 1. or is presumed to have waived counsel as provided in par. (b) 3.
(2g) Right of Indian child’s parent or Indian custodian to counsel. Whenever an Indian child is the subject of a proceeding involving the removal of the Indian child from the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian, placement of the Indian child in an out-of-home care placement, or termination of parental rights to the Indian child, the Indian child’s parent or Indian custodian shall have the right to be represented by counsel as provided in subs. (2) and (4).
(2m) Right of expectant mother to counsel.
(a) When an unborn child is alleged to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.133, the expectant mother of the unborn child, if the expectant mother is a child, shall be represented by counsel and may not waive counsel.
(b) If a petition under s. 48.133 is contested, no expectant mother may be placed outside of her home unless the expectant mother is represented by counsel at the fact-finding hearing and subsequent proceedings. If the petition is not contested, the expectant mother may not be placed outside of her home unless the expectant mother is represented by counsel at the hearing at which the placement is made. An adult expectant mother, however, may waive counsel if the court is satisfied that the waiver is knowingly and voluntarily made and the court may place the adult expectant mother outside of her home even though the adult expectant mother was not represented by counsel.
(c) For an expectant mother under 12 years of age, the judge may appoint a guardian ad litem instead of counsel.
(3) Power of the court to appoint counsel. At any time, upon request or on its own motion, the court may appoint counsel for the child or any party, unless the child or the party has or wishes to retain counsel of his or her own choosing.
(3m) Guardians ad litem or counsel for abused or neglected children. The court shall appoint counsel for any child alleged to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.13 (3), (3m), (10), (10m) and (11), except that if the child is less than 12 years of age the court may appoint a guardian ad litem instead of counsel. The guardian ad litem or counsel for the child may not act as counsel for any other party or any governmental or social agency involved in the proceeding and may not act as court-appointed special advocate for the child in the proceeding.
(4) Providing counsel.
(a) If a child or a parent under 18 years of age has a right to be represented by counsel or is provided counsel at the discretion of the court under this section and counsel is not knowingly and voluntarily waived, the court shall refer the child or parent under 18 years of age to the state public defender and counsel shall be appointed by the state public defender under s. 977.08 without a determination of indigency. If the referral is of a child who has filed a petition under s. 48.375 (7), the state public defender shall appoint counsel within 24 hours after that referral. Any counsel appointed in a petition filed under s. 48.375 (7) shall continue to represent the child in any appeal brought under s. 809.105 unless the child requests substitution of counsel or extenuating circumstances make it impossible for counsel to continue to represent the child.
(b) In any situation under sub. (2), (2g), or (2m) in which a parent 18 years of age or over or an adult expectant mother is entitled to representation by counsel; counsel is not knowingly and voluntarily waived; and it appears that the parent or adult expectant mother is unable to afford counsel in full, or the parent or adult expectant mother so indicates; the court shall refer the parent or adult expectant mother to the authority for indigency determinations specified under s. 977.07 (1).
(c) In any other situation under this section in which a person has a right to be represented by counsel or is provided counsel at the discretion of the court, competent and independent counsel shall be provided and reimbursed in any manner suitable to the court regardless of the person’s ability to pay, except that the court may not order a person who files a petition under s. 813.122 or 813.125 to reimburse counsel for the child who is named as the respondent in that petition.
(4m) Discharge of counsel. In any situation under this section in which counsel is knowingly and voluntarily waived or in which a parent is presumed to have waived his or her right to counsel, the court may discharge counsel.
(5) Counsel of own choosing. Regardless of any provision of this section, any party is entitled to retain counsel of his or her own choosing at his or her own expense in any proceeding under this chapter.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/48.23Fetched: 10/7/2026