Wisconsin child support arrears forgiveness

ESTIMATE — based on the rules Wisconsin published, checked October 2026. Only the agency can approve a reduction, and approvals are discretionary.

What can be reduced

All or part of state-owed arrears forgiven by the local (county/tribal) agency

Who may be eligible to apply

• Obligors unable to pay based on income, earning capacity, assets, or with long-term disability (statewide basis)
• Back on Track: pre-1996 state-debt cases

Where to apply

County child support agency

Participation is decided county by county in this state — call your county office; no county list is printed because none is published.

The split still decides it

State-owed (assigned) arrears are the state's to compromise. Family-owed arrears can only be reduced by the other parent's voluntary, documented agreement — no agency can force it. Tennessee is the verified inversion: family-owed arrears are the compromisable slice there with court approval, and state-owed cannot be forgiven. If you do not know your split, the first move is a written request to the agency for the split as separate lines.

Interest and limits

Interest: no verified interest rate is published for this state on this site, so the calculator shows principal only unless you enter a rate from your own judgment or order — labeled as your figure.

What no one can do: a judge cannot erase arrears that already accrued for hardship, job loss, or incarceration when no modification was filed at the time (Bradley Amendment, 42 U.S.C. §666(a)(9)(C)). Arrears are not dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Federal lines: arrears over $2,500 can be certified for passport denial or revocation; only the state agency can request a release, and release practice is set by the state.

Run the arrears decoder for Wisconsin

Source: WI Child Support Bulletin CSB 20-06, via OCSS list; Milwaukee County program materials ◆ · Rules checked October 2026.