Call for an immediate suicide attempt, a plan with means and imminent intent, serious self-harm, overdose, violence, or another life-threatening emergency. You may also go to the nearest emergency department for urgent evaluation. If you cannot travel safely, call 911.
Free • Public • Wisconsin-focused
Help should be reachable
before the paperwork.
These public links are available to everyone. Start with safety if you or someone else may be in danger. For court questions, use the official Wisconsin sources and confirm local requirements with your county clerk of circuit court or an attorney.
Safety comes first
Urgent and confidential support
Internet activity may be monitored and cannot always be erased completely. Use a safer device if possible. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Free, confidential support 24/7 for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental-health struggles, or concern about someone else. You do not have to wait until the situation becomes life-threatening.
Call, text or chat with 988National Domestic Violence Hotline, 24/7. Text START to 88788.
Call, chat or safety planFree, confidential connections to Wisconsin community services, 24/7.
Search 211 WisconsinDomestic violence support
Statewide and local help
You do not have to know exactly what kind of help you need before reaching out. Advocates can discuss safety planning and local options.
Wisconsin statewide service map
Find a domestic-abuse program serving your county through End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin. The coalition itself is not a crisis hotline.
Find a local Wisconsin programChristine Ann Domestic Abuse Services
24-hour help, advocacy and emergency shelter serving Winnebago and Green Lake Counties. Call 920-235-5998 or 800-261-5998.
Christine Ann help and contactWisconsin Safe at Home
A state address-confidentiality program for eligible people who fear for their physical safety. Call 608-266-6613 for program information.
Wisconsin DOJ Safe at HomeOfficial court information
Forms, self-help and filing
Use current forms from the Wisconsin Court System. A workbook can help you prepare, but it does not replace the official form the court requires.
Wisconsin family court forms
Official statewide family forms, including pre-judgment and post-judgment categories.
Open official family formsDivorce and family self-help
Wisconsin Court System explanations, forms assistant and starting points for self-represented people.
Open family-law self-helpAll court self-help topics
Official information on representing yourself, restraining orders, appeals, court processes and more.
Open the self-help law centerWisconsin circuit court eFiling
Official filing access, registration, guides and support. Check whether eFiling is required or available for your matter.
Open circuit court eFilingRead the law
Wisconsin statutes and legal research
Statutes can change and must be read in context. Court rules, case law, local rules and the facts of a case may also matter.
Wisconsin Statutes
The Wisconsin Legislature’s official online statutes. Family law is primarily found in Chapter 767, but other chapters may apply.
Browse Wisconsin StatutesWisconsin State Law Library
Public legal-research guides, books, databases and librarian assistance for Wisconsin legal questions.
Visit the State Law LibraryAppeals and appellate briefs
Free help for self-represented appeal users
An appeal is not a new trial. Appellate deadlines and formatting rules are strict, so begin with current official sources and consider speaking with an appellate attorney.
Wisconsin appellate self-help
Official appeal forms, the Guide to Appellate Procedure for the Self-Represented, petition-for-review guidance and filing information.
Open appellate self-helpFree Brief Assistant
The State Bar Appellate Help Desk’s tool walks users through an initial, response or reply brief and generates an editable draft in the required format.
Use the Brief AssistantAppellate Help Desk
Brief examples, links to forms and rules, legal-research starting points and information for self-represented civil appeal users.
Visit the Appellate Help DeskAppellate eFiling and case status
Self-represented parties may choose appellate eFiling. Public appellate dockets and eligible briefs are available through WSCCA.
Wisconsin Free Legal Answers
Eligible users can submit civil legal questions online and may receive brief information from a volunteer Wisconsin attorney.
Ask a civil legal questionCounty self-help resources
Find county-specific self-help centers, local court information and community legal resources.
Find help by Wisconsin countyTalk with a legal professional
Attorney referrals and legal aid
Legal information cannot evaluate your facts, protect deadlines or advise you what to request. Consider speaking with a qualified Wisconsin attorney—especially where safety, children, property, support or appeal rights are involved.
State Bar Lawyer Referral Service
Call 800-362-9082 or 608-257-4666, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Calling the referral service is free; ask about current consultation terms.
Find a Wisconsin lawyerReduced-fee and free help
State Bar listings for civil legal aid, pro bono opportunities and reduced-fee resources.
Explore lower-cost optionsLegal Action of Wisconsin
Statewide civil legal-aid intake for eligible Wisconsin residents. Call 855-947-2529 or apply online.
Apply for civil legal aid!
Please verify before filing or relying on a deadline
Links, laws, forms, eligibility rules and local court practices can change. These links are provided as public starting points, not legal advice or a recommendation about what you should file. Confirm current requirements with the official source, your county clerk of circuit court and, when possible, a qualified Wisconsin attorney.