Tools for Madison Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Madison families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Families in Madison who end up in the Dane County Circuit Court rarely arrive at a mediation, a therapy session, or a home visit with their records in order. FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform built for those parents. Below is what it does for them, what it means for you as a guardian ad litem, therapist, or mediator, and what to know about family court in Madison.

Wisconsin uses its own words, "legal custody" where many states say custody and "physical placement" where they say visitation, and the tools follow Wisconsin's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Dane County.

Court for custody cases: Dane County Circuit Court.

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Usually required in custody disputes.

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge.

State family law: Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 767 - Family Actions.

What Wisconsin calls custody: legal custody.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Madison

In Wisconsin, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

On FamilyCourtHelp.com you see what a parent chooses to share. A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, which you accept with your own free account; from there you can read the thread, post in it, and review the shared calendar's requests and approvals. A parent can also share the parenting plan with you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors in Madison

Court-involved and reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Madison do not get an account view here, and that is deliberate: each parent keeps their own record and chooses what to bring you. The free messenger keeps the week's facts in one time-stamped thread, and its Tone Meter flags a heated message and suggests a calmer one before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Madison

In Wisconsin, custody mediation is usually required when parents disagree about custody. The details are in the FAQ below.

Sessions in Madison start further along when the draft is already on the table. Parents can share their parenting plan with you to read and comment on, and invite you into their conversation with a single-use link. Agreements then live in one time-stamped thread, and every schedule change is a request on the shared calendar that the other parent approves or declines.

Family court programs in Madison

Custody cases in Madison are heard in the Dane County Circuit Court. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Dane County Family Court Services: Dane County Family Court Services provides mediation and custody evaluations in divorce and paternity cases. Mediation is with a trained family court counselor.

Dane County Parenting Education Program: After a referral to Dane County Family Court Services, parents are scheduled for a required Parenting Education Program.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Madison, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Madison: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Dane: Family Court Facilitator Clinic. Volunteers at the courthouse help people without a lawyer with family court forms and steps, and point them to other local help.

Dane legal aid: Legal Action of Wisconsin, (855) 947-2529.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Madison?

Divorce, paternity and custody cases in Dane County are heard in the Dane County Circuit Court in Madison. Judges and circuit court commissioners there refer custody and placement disputes to the county's Family Court Services office.

Where can parents in Madison get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Family Court Facilitator Clinic. Free legal aid: Legal Action of Wisconsin. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Madison?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Madison custody case?

In Wisconsin, the court must appoint a guardian ad litem for a child when legal custody or physical placement is contested, or when the court has special concern for the child's welfare. The guardian ad litem is a Wisconsin lawyer who advocates for the child's best interests on custody, placement and support. You may also see "GAL". The rule is in Wis. Stat. 767.407. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Wisconsin?

In Wisconsin family cases where legal custody or physical placement is contested, the court refers the parties to mediation, and they must attend at least one session with a mediator. The court can excuse a party, for example when attending would endanger a parent's health or safety.

Do parents in Wisconsin have to take a parenting class?

Wisconsin law lets the court order parents to attend a program about how divorce affects children, or a parenting or coparenting skills program in paternity cases. The program is educational, lasts no more than 4 hours, and the court can make it a condition of the final judgment.