Title 20, Title 20 — Domestic Relations

Marriage a civil contract. Marriage is a civil contract between a male and a female person to which the consent of the parties capable of contracting is essential.

Minimum marriageable age; exception; parental consent. (a) At the time of marriage the parties shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age except as otherwise provided. No person shall marry who is under the age of sixteen (16) years. (b) All marriages involving a person sixteen…

License; required. (a) Before solemnization of any marriage in this state, a marriage license shall be obtained from a Wyoming county clerk. (b) Application for a marriage license shall be made by one (1) of the parties to the marriage before the license is issued. Upon receipt o…

Judge may order license issued. (a) If any county clerk refuses to issue a license to marry, or in case of circumstances arising which would necessitate the waiver of any one (1) or more of the requirements of W.S. 20-1-102 and 20-1-103(b) and (c), either applicant for the licens…

Who may solemnize marriage; form of ceremony. (a) Every district or circuit court judge, district court commissioner, supreme court justice, magistrate and every licensed or ordained minister of the gospel, bishop, priest or rabbi, or other qualified person acting in accordance w…

Certificate of marriage. (a) When a marriage is solemnized, the person performing the ceremony shall give one (1) of the parties a certificate under his hand and signed by the witnesses to the marriage, specifying the names, ages and place of residence of the parties married, the…

Offenses relating to marriage generally. If the county clerk neglects to record a marriage certificate, or if any person performs a marriage ceremony knowing that he is not legally authorized to do so or knowing of any legal impediment to the proposed marriage, he is guilty of a …

When marriage solemnized by unauthorized person valid. No marriage solemnized in any manner authorized by W.S. 20-1-106, shall be deemed or adjudged to be void, nor is the validity of the marriage in any way affected because of a lack of jurisdiction or authority of the person pe…

Marriage ceremony according to rites and customs of religious societies or assemblies. Any religious society or religious assembly may perform the ceremony of marriage in this state according to the rites and customs of the society or assembly. The clerk or keeper of the minutes,…

Foreign marriages. All marriage contracts which are valid by the laws of the country in which contracted are valid in this state.

Legitimacy of children presumed. The legitimacy of all children conceived or born during the marriage is rebuttably presumed pursuant to W.S. 14-2-504.

Separate estate of real and personal property; not subject to control of spouse; exceptions. All property belonging to a married person as his separate property which he owns at the time of his marriage or which during marriage he acquires in good faith from any person by descent…

Rights and limitations of married persons incident to the marriage relationship. (a) Any married person may transfer his separate property in the same manner and to the same extent as if he were unmarried and he may make contracts and incur obligations and liabilities, all of whi…

Void and voidable marriages defined; annulments. (a) Marriages contracted in Wyoming are void without any decree of divorce: (i) When either party has a husband or wife living at the time of contracting the marriage; (ii) When either party is mentally incompetent at the time of c…

Petition by spouse for support. When the husband and wife are living separately, or when they are living together but one (1) spouse does not support the other spouse or children within his means, and no proceeding for divorce is pending, the other spouse or the department of fam…

Petition to affirm marriage. When the validity of any marriage is denied by either party, the other party may file a petition to affirm the marriage. Upon due proof of the validity thereof, it shall be declared valid by a decree of the court which is conclusive upon all persons c…

Causes for divorce generally; venue generally. A divorce may be decreed by the district court of the county in which either party resides on the complaint of the aggrieved party on the grounds of irreconcilable differences in the marital relationship.

Divorce action for insanity; when permitted; conditions to bringing action; liability for support. (a) A divorce may be granted when either party has become incurably insane and the insane person has been confined in a mental hospital of this state or of another state or territor…

Judicial separation; procedure; powers of court; defenses. (a) When circumstances are such that grounds for a divorce exist, the aggrieved party may institute a proceeding by complaint in the same manner as if petitioner were seeking a decree of divorce, but praying instead to be…

Residential requirements generally for divorce. (a) No divorce shall be granted unless one of the parties has resided in this state for sixty (60) days immediately preceding the time of filing the complaint, or the marriage was solemnized in this state and one of the parties has …

Action conducted as civil action. Actions to annul or affirm a marriage, for a divorce or to establish any order regarding the maintenance or custody of children shall be conducted in the same manner as civil actions, and the court may decree costs and enforce its decree as in ot…

Restraining orders concerning property or pecuniary interests during litigation. If after filing a complaint for divorce it appears probable to the court that either party is about to do any act that would defeat or render less effective any order which the court might ultimately…

Restraint during litigation. After the filing of a complaint for divorce or to annul a marriage, on the petition of either party the court may prohibit the other party from imposing any restraint upon the petitioner's personal liberty during the pendency of the action.

Alimony during pendency of action; allowances for prosecution or defense of action; costs. In every action brought for divorce, the court may require either party to pay any sum necessary to enable the other to carry on or defend the action and for support and the support of the …

Examination concerning property interests; enforcement of court orders; temporary custody of children. (a) In a proceeding for divorce, the court may cause the attendance of either party and compel an answer under oath concerning his property, rights or interests, or money that h…

Disposition of property to be equitable; factors; alimony generally. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, in granting a divorce, the court shall make such disposition of the property of the parties as appears just and equitable, having regard for the respecti…

Revision of alimony and other allowances. After a decree for alimony or other allowance for a party or children and after a decree for the appointment of trustees to receive and hold any property for the use of a party or children pursuant to W.S. 20-2-314, the court may from tim…

Disposition and maintenance of children in decree or order; access to records. (a) In granting a divorce, separation or annulment of a marriage or upon the establishment of paternity pursuant to W.S. 14-2-401 through 14-2-907, the court may make by decree or order any disposition…

Visitation. (a) The court may order visitation it deems in the best interests of each child and the court shall: (i) Order visitation in enough detail to promote understanding and compliance; (ii) Provide for the allocation of the costs of transporting each child for purposes of …

Jurisdiction for enforcement and modification. (a) A court in this state which enters a custody order under W.S. 20-2-201 has continuing subject matter jurisdiction to enforce or modify the decree concerning the care, custody and visitation of the children as the circumstances of…

Enforcement and modification. (a) Either parent may petition to enforce or modify any court order regarding custody and visitation. (b) A court having jurisdiction under W.S. 20-2-203 may, upon appropriate motion of a party, require a parent to appear before the court and show ju…

Temporary military duty; definitions; modification of orders; visitation assignment; electronic evidence. (a) When a service member who has custody or visitation of a child receives temporary duty, deployment or mobilization orders from the military which require the service memb…

Purpose. Where necessary and appropriate, the court shall enter orders, whether temporary or permanent, pursuant to and in compliance with this article for the maintenance of children in actions for divorce, annulment, paternity, support, out-of-home placement and any other actio…

Applicability. This article applies to all orders for the support or maintenance of children.

Definitions. (a) As used in this article: (i) "Age of majority" means as defined in W.S. 14-1-101(a) or 14-2-204(a), whichever is applicable; (ii) "Income" means any form of payment or return in money or in kind to an individual, regardless of source. Income includes, but is not …

Presumptive child support. (a) Child support shall be expressed in a specific dollar amount. The following child support tables shall be used to determine the total child support obligation considering the combined income of both parents. The appropriate table is based upon the n…

Revision of presumptive child support. On or before December 1, 1996, and at least once every four (4) years thereafter, the department of family services shall review the presumptive child support established under this article to ensure that application results in the determina…

Presumptive child support to be followed; deviations by court. (a) The presumptive child support established by W.S. 20-2-304 shall be rebuttably presumed to be the correct amount of child support to be awarded in any proceeding to establish or modify temporary or permanent child…

Financial affidavits required; financial reporting. (a) No order establishing or modifying a child support obligation shall be entered unless financial affidavits on a form approved by the Wyoming supreme court which fully discloses the financial status of the parties have been f…

Contents of orders; change of address or employment; income withholding entered; payment. (a) All orders shall include the: (i) Names of the parties; (ii) Repealed By Laws 2011, Ch. 121, § 2. (iii) Repealed By Laws 2004, Chapter 72, § 2. (iv) Right of either party or, when approp…

Enforcement of child support. (a) In any proceeding to enforce the decree concerning the maintenance of children, any required notice or pleading shall be served as provided by the Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure. (b) A court may, upon appropriate motion, require a parent to app…

Adjustment of child support orders. (a) Any party, or the department of family services in the case of child support orders being enforced by the department, may petition for a review and adjustment of any child support order that was entered more than six (6) months prior to the…

Redirection of child support. Upon affidavit by the current custodian or the department filed with the clerk of the district court, or by operation of law when public funds have been expended on behalf of a minor child, that the care and control of the child resides in a party ot…

Cessation of child support. (a) An on-going child support obligation terminates when the: (i) Parents marry or remarry each other; (ii) Child dies; (iii) Child is legally emancipated; or (iv) Child attains the age of majority. (b) After the remarriage of the parents to each other…

Court may appoint trustees to manage amount set aside for children. Upon application by any party, the court may order any amount set apart for the children to be paid to a trustee or trustees appointed by the court, upon trust to invest the same and to apply the income thereof t…

Court may require security for child support payments. (a) Upon the issuance of any order or entering of a decree under this chapter which provides for child support payments, or any time thereafter following notice and opportunity for hearing, the court may, for good cause shown…

Adjustment of child support for a disabled adult child. (a) A noncustodial parent may petition for an adjustment of child support for a child who has reached the age of majority but qualifies under W.S. 14-2-204(a)(i) to continue to receive support from the noncustodial parent. T…

Medical support to be included as part of child support order. (a) In any action to establish or modify a child support obligation, the court shall order either or both of the parents to provide medical support, which may include dental, optical or other health care needs for the…

Employer's obligations. (a) Where a parent is required by a court or administrative order to provide health coverage for a child, at the time of the order, which is offered by and available through an employer doing business in this state to the parent, the employer is required t…

Department of family services; duties of department and custodial parent; rules and regulations. (a) In IV-D cases where the noncustodial parent is required to provide health care coverage pursuant to a child support order, and for whom the employer is known, the department shall…