48.273 Service of summons or notice; expense.

(1)

(a) Except as provided in pars. (ag), (ar), and (b), service of summons or notice required by s. 48.27 may be made by mailing a copy of the summons or notice to the person summoned or notified.

(ag) In a situation described in s. 48.27 (3) (d) involving an Indian child, service of summons or notice required by s. 48.27 to the Indian child's parent, Indian custodian, or tribe shall be made as provided in s. 48.028 (4) (a).

(ar) Except as provided in par. (b), if the person fails to appear at the hearing or otherwise to acknowledge service, a continuance shall be granted and service shall be made personally by delivering to the person a copy of the summons or notice; except that if the court determines that it is impracticable to serve the summons or notice personally, the court may order service by certified mail addressed to the last-known address of the person.

(b) The court may refuse to grant a continuance when the child is being held in secure custody, but if the court so refuses, the court shall order that service of notice of the next hearing be made personally or by certified mail to the last-known address of the person who failed to appear at the hearing.

(c) Personal service shall be made at least 72 hours before the hearing. Mail shall be sent at least 7 days before the hearing, except as follows:

1. When the petition is filed under s. 48.13 and the person to be notified lives outside the state, the mail shall be sent at least 14 days before the hearing.

2. When a petition under s. 48.13 or 48.133 involves an Indian child who has been removed from the home of his or her parent or Indian custodian and the person to be notified is the Indian child's parent, Indian custodian, or tribe, the mail shall be sent so that it is received by the person to be notified at least 10 days before the hearing or, if the identity or location of the person to be notified cannot be determined, by the U.S. secretary of the interior at least 15 days before the hearing.

(2) Service of summons or notice required by this chapter may be made by any suitable person under the direction of the court.

(3) The expenses of service of summons or notice or of the publication of summons or notice and the traveling expenses and fees as allowed in ch. 885 incurred by any person summoned or required to appear at the hearing of any case coming within the jurisdiction of the court under ss. 48.13 to 48.14, shall be a charge on the county when approved by the court.

(4)

(a) Subsections (1) and (3) do not apply to any proceeding under s. 48.375 (7).

(b) Personal service is required for notice of all proceedings under s. 48.375 (7), except that, if the minor is not represented by counsel, notice to the minor shall be in the manner and at the place designated in the petition under s. 48.257 (1) until appointment of the minor's counsel, if any, under s. 48.375 (7) (a) 1. Notice shall be served immediately for any proceeding under s. 48.375 (7) unless the minor waives the immediate notice. If the minor waives the immediate notice, the notice shall be served at least 24 hours before the time of the hearing under s. 48.375 (7) (b) or any other proceeding under s. 48.375 (7). A minor may, in acknowledging receipt of service of the notice, sign the name “Jane Doe" in lieu of providing the minor's full signature.

(c) The expenses of service of notice and the travel expenses and fees allowed in ch. 885 incurred by any person who is required to appear, other than the minor who is named in the petition, in any proceeding under s. 48.375 (7) shall be paid by the county in which the circuit court that holds the proceeding is located.

History: 1977 c. 354; 1979 c. 300; 1991 a. 263; 1993 a. 98; 1995 a. 77; 2009 a. 94.

Service under this section is applicable to members of an Indian tribe. In Interest of M.L.S. 157 Wis. 2d 26, 458 N.W.2d 541 (Ct. App. 1990).