Enforcement / Contempt

When you and your spouse are handed court orders during the divorce process, you are both expected to follow them to the letter. To ignore or blatantly defy court orders is called “contempt of court,” and it is actually a crime. If you feel that your spouse is operating in contempt, talk to your Atlanta family lawyer about legal enforcement of court orders.

There may be many reasons for defying court orders, some better than others. A spouse who disagrees with or feels cheated by existing court orders may withhold child support or alimony payments. A spouse still feeling the emotional sting of the divorce may withhold your children from visiting out of spite. These are both examples of contempt which can absolutely be prosecuted. If your spouse is found guilty of contempt, he or she could be sentenced to penalties ranging from enforcement of support agreements through wage garnishment all the way up to jail time.

On the other hand, there may be a more reasonable explanation for not keeping up with court orders. If you recently lost your job and can no longer afford your current payment plan, you may have decided to stop paying until you get your bearings back. Unfortunately, your spouse may perceive this as contempt and take you to court. If this is your situation, you need an Atlanta family lawyer who can defend your case and prove that you need a post-dissolution order modification, not punishment.

Whether you would like to hold your spouse in contempt or fight charges of contempt brought against you, the stakes are too high to risk going into battle alone when a skilled attorney can help. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a top Atlanta family lawyer today.