Financial Disclosure Statement Wisconsin Divorce: Form FA-4139V Guide

Form FA-4139V is the most consequential document in a Wisconsin financial split. Both spouses must file a sworn Financial Disclosure Statement listing every asset, debt, income source, and monthly expense. It's filed under penalty of perjury, and failure to complete it accurately can result in the court accepting your spouse's numbers as absolute fact.

You have 90 days from serving the petition (or filing jointly) to submit this form. That timeline is tighter than most people expect, especially when you need to gather 12 months of statements from multiple institutions.

What Form FA-4139V Requires

The disclosure statement covers five major sections:

Income. Monthly gross income from all sources — employment, self-employment, investment returns, rental income, government benefits, maintenance from a prior marriage. If income varies (commission, seasonal work), you'll need to calculate an average.

Assets. Every asset either spouse owns, regardless of whose name is on it. Real estate, bank accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles, life insurance cash value, business interests, personal property of significant value.

Debts. All liabilities — mortgages, car loans, credit cards, student loans, medical bills, personal loans, tax obligations. Include the creditor name, balance, monthly payment, and whose name is on the account.

Monthly expenses. Your current household budget broken down by category — housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance, childcare, medical, personal, and debt service.

Proposed division. Your position on how assets and debts should be divided. This section signals your negotiation opening.

Documents You Need Before Filling It Out

Gather these before you sit down with the form:

Income documentation:

• 3 years of federal and state tax returns (with all schedules, W-2s, and 1099s)
• 3-6 months of pay stubs from all employers
• Self-employment profit & loss statements
• Social Security benefit statements

Account statements (12 months each):

• All checking and savings accounts (joint and individual)
• All investment/brokerage accounts
• All retirement accounts (401k, IRA, pension statements)
• HSA and FSA accounts

Debt documentation:

• Current mortgage statements and payoff amounts
• Credit card statements (all accounts, 12 months)
• Auto loan statements
• Student loan statements and servicer info
• Medical bills outstanding
• Personal loan documentation

Property records:

• Real estate appraisals or recent comparable sales
• Vehicle Kelly Blue Book values
• Business tax returns (if either spouse owns a business)
• Life insurance policies (face value and cash surrender value)

How to Handle Joint Bank Accounts

Joint accounts present a specific challenge during divorce. Under Wisconsin's marital property law, both spouses have equal access to joint accounts until the divorce is finalized. However:

• Document the balance at the date of separation and at the date of filing
• Track any large withdrawals your spouse makes after separation — these may constitute marital waste
• Consider requesting a temporary order to freeze or divide liquid accounts during the pending case
• List joint accounts on FA-4139V with the full balance, not "your half"

Consequences of Incomplete or Late Disclosure

Wisconsin courts take disclosure obligations seriously:

If you file late or incompletely: The court can accept your spouse's financial statement as fact. Whatever they claim about your income, assets, and debts becomes the baseline for division.

If you deliberately hide assets: This constitutes perjury. The court can award the hidden assets entirely to your spouse, impose monetary sanctions, and hold you in contempt.

If you undervalue assets: A later discovery that you understated property values can be grounds to reopen the property division — even after the divorce is final.

Preparing Ahead: The Pre-Filing Checklist

Smart divorce planning starts before you file. If you're considering divorce:

1. Begin copying financial documents now — tax returns, statements, insurance policies
2. Photograph valuable personal property and note serial numbers
3. Pull your credit report to identify all joint debts
4. Calculate your actual monthly expenses based on three months of spending
5. Document any separate property (inheritances, gifts) with original paperwork showing dates and values
6. Open an individual checking account if you don't have one

The more organized your financial picture before filing, the faster and more accurate your FA-4139V will be. The Wisconsin Divorce Financial Split Guide includes a structured disclosure preparation worksheet that maps directly to FA-4139V's sections — so you can build your inventory systematically before the 90-day clock starts.

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