Defenses - Issue Preclusion: TPR

Brown County DHS v. Terrance M., 2005 WI App 57 For Terrance M.: Theresa J. Schmieder

Issue/Holding: Because TPR cases are generally a subset of custody cases; and because claim preclusion is available as a means of discouraging groundless requests for modification of custody, both claim and issue preclusion “may also be applied when the facts so require” in TPRs, ¶¶8-9.

The court remands for determination of whether issue preclusion is appropriate in this instance, without attempting to reach the merits on appeal, ¶ 10 and id. n. 5, citing Paige K.B. v. Steven G.B., 226 Wis. 2d 210, 224, 594 N.W.2d 370 (1999) for the issue-preclusion test.