How to Apply for Legal Assistance | COLLABORATIVE FOUNDATION OF WISCONSIN

FREE OR FEE REDUCED COLLABORATIVE SERVICES
Collaborative divorce services provided by a Foundation referral are contingent, in part, on your income. It is very important that you review these income guidelines to make certain you understand the limitations.

Participation in the program requires a complete financial disclosure, a written agreement of all parties to follow the rules of the collaborative process, and an agreement not to go to court. The income levels listed below are a guideline and are not the sole determining factor for acceptance into the program. These levels were adjusted upward by the Foundation effective for 2020. Therefore you may qualify when you did not under the former limitations.

If your family’s total annual income does not exceed the amount listed below, based on the number of people in your family, services may be provided at no cost to you provided you comply with all the rules of the program and adhere to the process outlined by the service team:

Family Size Maximum Income*

Two people              $ 43,100
Three people           $ 53,175
Four people             $ 65,500
Five people              $ 76,700

*new thresholds effective for calendar Year 2021

You may qualify for the Foundation’s low cost services program if your income exceeds these levels. Under that program you pay a portion of the professional fees which have been agreed to by Foundation volunteer attorneys, coaches, child specialists and financial neutrals.

You are encouraged to apply regardless of your income as these thresholds are guidelines and every situation is reviewed.

You may begin the application process online, and receive a preliminary acknowledgement of your application. You will still be required to complete and submit the more detailed Financial Disclosure Statement, and you may download it, print it and fill out and mail/email it to the Foundation.

An online application is as follows:

Both of you must complete and submit your own Application and Certification form below.
One of you must complete and submit the brief online Preliminary Financial Summary statement below.
Watch for an email or phone call from CFW requesting a more detailed financial statement.

Once steps 1 and 2 are submitted and reviewed, the Foundation will contact you by email or phone to initiate your case, and request that you and your spouse complete and submit the more detailed Financial Disclosure Statement.

We ask you to do this in 2 steps as the Financial Disclosure Statement may take some time for you to complete, but it does require information that both the Collaborative team and the Court will need to complete the process.

You and your spouse may also download these items and submit them to the Foundation via the mail; it is your choice. These files are in Adobe PDF format so you will have to print, fill out and mail to us at 1288 Summit Avenue, Suite 107 Box 106, Oconomowoc, WI 53066. If you have questions you may email us at info@collabwis.org. We will respond as soon as possible.

Application & Certification – online

Please complete and submit the following, and then return to this page and complete the brief “Preliminary Financial Statement” and submit. All information is collected using a secure server and your confidentiality is important to us.

Online Application

By submitting this application, you understand that the Collaborative Foundation does not guarantee that it will find an attorney who will accept your case. If the Collaborative Foundation refers you to a pro bono or reduced-fee attorney, the attorney may refuse to accept your case if it is deemed to not be appropriate for the Collaborative process, would involve violation of law or Rules of Professional Responsibility, or other legitimate reasons. Applicants release the Collaborative Foundation and its officers, directors, and agents from any and all claims, losses, and liability arising out of any referral made by or through the Collaborative Foundation. Any failure to comply with schedules and appointments made with Foundation volunteers will mean immediate dismissal of your case.

Full Name(required)

Address(required)

City, State, ZIP(required)

Today's Date(required)

Telephone(required)

Alternative Phone Contact

Email address

Certification - Please check each item below certifying that you accept and understand these conditions of your application:(required)

I certify that the information provided in this application and the Financial Statement submitted as part of my application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge;

I understand that the Collaborative Foundation may check the accuracy of the information I have provided about my household, assets, and income and that the Collaborative Foundation may close my case at any time upon learning that the information provided is incorrect;

I understand that after my attorney accepts my case, my relationship with my attorney will be governed by the agreement between me and my attorney;

I will permit any attorney, law office staff, or other professional or agency to which this matter is referred by the Collaborative Foundation to respond by phone or in writing to requests made by the Collaborative Foundation for information about my case;

I understand and agree that if my circumstances change before the conclusion of this legal matter, I may be required to pay the full legal and other fees involved and I understand and agree to abide by the principles of the collaborative law process.

I authorize the Collaborative Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc. (CFW) to disclose specific intake information about me and my family to the participating professionals involved with the Collaborative Project for the purpose of screening my case for participation in the CFW Project, and referring my divorce case to a CFW Project collaborative practice team if it is determined that my case is appropriate. I agree to cooperate with the CFW after the referral is made. I further understand that CFW will protect the confidentiality of the information I have given as required by law and will keep secure all the materials and information about my case in their possession. If I abandon the process, the CFW will destroy the information except for the retention of contact information required to administer my case. (required)

Enter your full name to certify and submit your application

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Preliminary Financial Statement – online

Preliminary Financial Information

The following financial information allows the Foundation to conduct an initial screening of your application. After a review, and If tentative acceptance is granted, you and your spouse will be required to complete the a more detailed Financial Disclosure Statement. We will send that form to you and your spouse. If you prefer, you may download the detailed form at the link provided at the very bottom of this page.

Spouse # 1 Name(required)

Spouse #2 Name(required)

Spouse #1 Address(required)

Spouse # 2 Address(required)

Spouse # 1 Birthdate(required)

Spouse #2 Birthdate(required)

Spouse #1 Occupation(required)

Spouse #2 Occupation(required)

Email address - Spouse #1

An email address where we can reach you, if available

Email address - Spouse #2

An email address where we can reach you, if available

Date of Marriage(required)

Date of Separation

Name Child 1

Age Child 1

Name Child 2

Age Child 2

Name Child 3

Age Child 3

Name Child 4

Age Child 4

If you have more than 4 children enter their ages below:

With Whom are the Children Living?

Supplemental Assistance Information

Supplemental Assistance Information- Check all that apply:

Supplemental Security Income

Food Stamps/Food Share

Relief funded under s.59.53(21) Wis Stats

Medical Assistance

Relief Funded under Public Assistance

Benefits for Veterans under 45.40(1m) or 38 USC 501-562

Other Means-Tested Public Assistance

Why we collect this information: Your participation in these programs may impact the court fees you will be required to pay as a result of filing for divorce. Your attorney will advise you further.

Spouse #1 Monthly Gross Income from wages including commissions and overtime pay(required)

Spouse #2 Monthly Gross Income from wages including commissions and overtime pay(required)

Spouse #1 Monthly Income from all other sources

Spouse #2 Monthly Income from all other sources

Spouse #1 Total Monthly Gross Income(required)

Spouse #2 Total Monthly Gross Income(required)

Spouse #1 Total Monthly Net Income/Take Home Pay(required)

Spouse #2 Total Monthly Net Income/Take Home Pay(required)

I/We understand that this information is accurate to the best of our knowledge and that before our application is accepted we must provide the completed Financial Disclosure Statement

Enter Spouse #1 Name Below(required)

Enter Spouse #2 Name Below(required)

Type the characters(required)

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The Detailed Financial Statement will be sent to you upon receipt of the two forms above.

The Collaborative Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin/ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring/retention/dismissal of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

Home » How to Apply for Legal Assistance

Application & Certification – online

Online Application

Preliminary Financial Information