Although current Wisconsin and federal law does not adequately protect the rights of non-traditional families, there are some important legal tools that may be used to ensure that families are recognized as a family to the extent possible under existing law.

Good estate planning can help ensure that a non-married person's partner inherits his or her partner's home and estate upon their partner's death. It can also permit partners to have legal access to the other partner’s health care records if he or she is incapacitated. Wills, powers of attorney, and cohabitation agreements are all critical for unmarried partners who want to have some of the rights that married partners can take for granted.

Balisle & Roberson, S.C. helps unmarried partners achieve amicable resolution when their relationships dissolve, can assist couples interested in same gender adoptions, represents parties in grandparent visitation disputes, and tries cases involving step-parent rights. The attorneys of Balisle & Roberson, S.C. have argued numerous cases involving non-traditional families at both the trial court and the appellate levels, including the landmark cases In re: Custody of H.S.H-K., 193 Wis. 2d 649 (1995) and In Interest of A.E.H., 161 Wis. 2d 277 (1991).