If you've had a divorce, child custody case, or child support case, you have an agreement and/or court order requiring you to follow certain rules, like paying child support, alimony, or following a visitation schedule. Sometimes your ex-spouse or co-parent refuses to follow the terms of your court order. In these cases, you can ask the court to hold that person in “contempt" of court and enforce the agreement between you two. There are threshold requirements that must be met before you can ask a Court to exercise their contempt powers. For example, you cannot be in contempt of the same order as well. Additionally, you have to show that the opposing party has the ability to comply with the Court's orders. This may be tricky if the opposing party has a valid reason for not being able to follow the Court's orders. Contempt actions require a stringent cost/benefit analysis before beginning to make sure you have the highest chance of prevailing. If you think your ex-spouse or co-parent is in contempt of a court order, do not hesitate. Schedule a consultation today!
