Immigrants in Family Court: The Intersection of Immigration and Family Law 2025

  • OnDemand seminar
  • Family Law
  • Immigration Law
Up to 4.0 Credit Hours
View schedule and faculty
Immigrants in Family Court: The Intersection of Immigration and Family Law 2025

Endorsed by the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin

Identify immigration issues

Family matters involving immigrant clients demand a unique blend of cultural awareness, family law insight, and sensitivity to complex immigration issues. Immigration law significantly impacts major aspects of family law practice, including divorce, child custody, and domestic abuse. As a result, family lawyers should be equipped to spot potential immigration issues facing their clients.

Immigrants in Family Court: The Intersection of Immigration and Family Law will prepare you to recognize unique family law issues from an immigrant’s perspective, including:

  • The validity of marriages and divorces
  • Paternity and paternity acknowledgment
  • Residency and documentation requirements
  • Cultural and religious practices
8:30 am
Family Law Basics from an Immigrant’s Perspective

Kari Niesen-LaScala, Gricel Santiago-Rivera

  • Review basic aspects of family law from the point of view of an immigrant, including:
    • Validity of marriages and divorces
    • Paternity and Paternity Acknowledgment actions
    • Residency and documentation requirements
    • Cultural and religious practices
9:25 am
Immigration Status: What Family Law Practitioners Should Know

Robin Dalton, Hannah Ferry

  • The immigration system is complex. There are many different immigration statuses people can have
  • What are the different types of immigration status and what do they mean?
  • Common terms for immigration status
  • Which family law proceedings affect immigration status
  • Which immigration petitions affect family law proceedings
10:15 am
Break
10:30 am
Battered Immigrants: Immigration Law, Restraining Orders and Family Law

Robin Dalton, Gricel Santiago-Rivera

  • How being a victim of domestic abuse affects an immigrant in family court
  • The impact of domestic violence on immigrant survivors
  • Injunctions and humanitarian immigration relief
  • Custody and placement considerations
  • International travel and child abduction
11:20 am
Language Access in State Courts

Robin Dalton, Gricel Santiago-Rivera, Shawna Stevenoski, Alexandra Wirth

  • Use case studies to explore the nuances of translations and interpretations in family court.
  • The statutory requirements about court interpreters
  • what happens when there is no interpreter available
  • we will discuss practical ways to ensure immigrant clients have meaningful access to the court system in Wisconsin.
12:20 pm
Questions/Program Closing

All Faculty

Program Chair and Presenter

Gricel Santiago-Rivera Santiago
Family Law & Mediation Services · Madison

Presenters

Robin Dalton
RISE Law Center · Madison
Hannah Ferry
RISE Law Center · Madison
Kari Niesen-LaScala
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin · Madison
Shawna Stevenoski
Bilingual Training Consultants · Madison
Alexandra Wirth
Office of Court Operations · Madison

  • Review family law basics from an immigrant’s perspective
  • Understand what family lawyers should know about immigration status
  • Know how family law proceedings can impact immigration status, and which immigration petitions affect family law proceedings
  • Learn how to address issues affecting immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse
  • Remove language barriers and improve court access for immigrant clients in Wisconsin
  • Immigration lawyers
  • Family lawyers
  • Family Court Commissioners
  • Anyone seeking to learn more about the intersection of immigration and family law

Book Bonus!

Wisconsin Attorney’s Desk Reference
Save 15% on the Wisconsin Attorney’s Desk Reference.* Save valuable time researching unfamiliar areas of law with this volume of actionable information on 11 practice areas and 35 topics grouped by related subjects. Use discount code CA3759 when you order online or by calling (800) 728-7788.

*Discount applies to both print and digital Books Unbound editions of this title and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Offer valid through 12/31/26. For Books Unbound users, discount may be applied to purchase of individual Books Unbound title only and may not be used on the purchase of libraries. Discount cannot be combined with any other offers.

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