Contempt or enforcement actions refer to the failure of one party to perform or comply with a previous Court Order. This could refer to non-payment of child support, alimony, or shared bills, but could also refer to one party not complying with the terms of a time-sharing schedule such as exchange times, locations, or involving the child in litigation. Generally, in a contempt/enforcement proceeding we will be able to ask the judge to award attorney’s fees for the other party’s egregious behavior.
By pursing a contempt/enforcement action, you are seeking the Court’s intervention to help correct bad behavior and encourage future compliance. If you think you may have a contempt or enforcement issue, you should be documenting and gathering evidence in preparation for an evidentiary hearing with a judge. Keeping a calendar is a great way to record behavior to include children’s issues, monetary disputes, and to help demonstrate a pattern of bad conduct.