Section 767.117. Prohibited acts during pendency of action.

 

(1)   Prohibitions. In an action affecting the family, the petitioner upon filing the petition, the joint petitioners upon filing the joint petition and the respondent upon service of the petition are prohibited from doing any of the following:

(a) Harassing, intimidating, physically abusing or imposing any restraint on the personal liberty of the other party or a minor child of either of the parties.

(b) If the action is one under s. 767.001 (1) (a) , (b) , (c) , (d) , (h) , or (i) , encumbering, concealing, damaging, destroying, transferring, or otherwise disposing of property owned by either or both of the parties, without the consent of the other party or an order of the court, except in the usual course of business, in order to secure necessities, or in order to pay reasonable costs and expenses of the action, including attorney fees.

(c) Unless the action is one under s. 767.001 (1) (g) or (h) , without the consent of the other party or an order of the court, establishing a residence with a minor child of the parties outside the state or more than 150 miles from the residence of the other party within the state, removing a minor child of the parties from the state for more than 90 consecutive days, or concealing a minor child of the parties from the other party.

(2)   Duration of prohibitions. The prohibitions under sub. (1) shall apply until the action is dismissed, until a final judgment in the action is entered, or until the court orders otherwise.

(3)   Violations.

(a) Except as provided in par. (b) , a party who violates any provision of sub. (1) may be proceeded against under ch. 785 for contempt of court.

(b) An act in violation of sub. (1) (c) is not a contempt of court if the court finds that the action was taken to protect a party or a minor child of the parties from physical abuse by the other party and that there was no reasonable opportunity under the circumstances for the party to obtain an order under sub. (2) authorizing the action.

1993 a. 78 ; 2001 a. 61 ; 2005 a. 443 ss. 51 , 64 ; Stats. 2005 s. 767.117.