Wisconsin Financial Disclosure Statement After a Judgment

You won your case, but the court will not tell you where the debtor's money is. That is what the financial disclosure process is for — and it is the single most important step between getting a judgment and actually collecting it.

When a Wisconsin small claims money judgment is entered, the court automatically issues an Order for Financial Disclosure using Form SC-506A. That order requires the debtor to complete and deliver Form SC-506B — a sworn financial statement — to you within 15 days.

What Form SC-506B Requires the Debtor to Reveal

The Financial Disclosure Statement is not optional, and it is not vague. Under Wis. Stat. § 799.27, the debtor must disclose under oath:

• Employment details and gross and net income
• Bank account numbers and balances
• Real estate holdings
• Motor vehicles owned
• Other personal property and income sources

This information is what lets you decide whether wage garnishment, a bank levy, or property execution is the right move. Without it, you are filing enforcement paperwork blind.

The debtor delivers SC-506B directly to you, not to the court. It contains sensitive financial data — Social Security numbers, account numbers — and stays out of the public case file under Wis. Stat. § 801.19.

The 15-Day Deadline Is Mandatory

The debtor must complete and deliver the disclosure within 15 days of judgment entry. The order directs the debtor to deliver Form SC-506B to you within that period.

Mark the deadline on your calendar. If day 16 passes and you have nothing, you have grounds to escalate.

When the Debtor Ignores the Order

Debtors ignore the financial disclosure more often than they comply. When that happens, you file a Petition and Order for Hearing on Contempt using Form SC-508. The court then sets a hearing date and issues an Order to Show Cause.

You must personally serve the contempt petition on the debtor — mail is not sufficient for this step. The sheriff or a private process server can handle it.

At the hearing, if the judge finds willful noncompliance, the debtor faces remedial contempt sanctions under Chapter 785: forfeitures up to $2,000 per day or imprisonment up to six months until they comply.

Supplementary Examination: The Next Level of Discovery

If the financial disclosure alone does not reveal enough, or if you need to examine the debtor under oath about specific assets, Wisconsin offers supplementary proceedings under Chapter 816.

One route to a Chapter 816 supplementary examination requires a docketed judgment and an Execution Against Property returned unsatisfied in whole or in part. Section 816.03(1)(b) also provides an alternative basis when the debtor has non-exempt property they refuse to apply to the judgment. The examination can compel the debtor to produce tax returns, bank statements, vehicle titles, and deeds.

If the debtor fails to appear after being properly served, the commissioner can certify the default to a circuit judge for a civil bench warrant.

Putting the Disclosure to Work

Once you have the debtor's financial information, match it to the right enforcement tool. Wages that are not fully exempt under the poverty-line or public-assistance rules point toward earnings garnishment. A bank balance points toward a non-earnings garnishment. Real estate equity above the $75,000 homestead exemption points toward docketing and eventual execution.

Our Wisconsin judgment collection guide includes a Financial Disclosure Deadline Tracker and an Enforcement Decision Flowchart that maps the debtor's disclosed assets to the right statutory tool — with the forms, fees, and deadlines for each.

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