Austin Enforcement of Court Orders Attorney

Whenever a couple completes a divorce in Texas, the court will clearly define each divorced spouse’s obligations and restrictions when it comes to child custody, child support payments, spousal maintenance (alimony), child possession (visitation), property division, and access to the marital home. When one spouse fails to meet his or her obligations or violates the terms of the court’s orders, the other spouse may wonder about options for legal recourse.

Enforcement of court orders is a serious topic. Divorcing couples should know what to expect on both sides of this issue. Any newly divorced person must understand how he or she is obligated to follow the court’s orders and have a firm understanding of the other spouse’s obligations as well. To learn more about the enforcement of court orders for your unique situation, contact Austin enforcement of court orders attorney Abraham Kant today.

Handling Violation of Court Orders

If a divorced spouse fails to uphold his or her end of a divorce agreement, the court will deem the spouse who violated the agreement as in contempt of court. Starting contempt proceedings is a complex process, and the judge presiding over such proceedings will review the facts of the case and assign appropriate punishment. A few examples of violating a court order in family law include:

• Refusing to pay child support or alimony. If a divorce agreement requires one spouse to pay alimony or child support, he or she must make these payments on time. If he or she fails to make these payments, a judge may take serious action. Penalties include altering the custody agreement, imposing a fine, or recommending jail time for the nonpaying spouse.
• Violating visitation requirements. If one parent fails to provide supervision for the couple’s children when required, fails to pick up children from school or activities when the parent has visitation time or otherwise does not meet the visitation requirements of the divorce agreement, the parent is in violation of the court’s orders.
• Refusing to split community property. During a divorce, one spouse may attempt to hide or move assets to prevent them from being split with the other spouse. Texas law clearly defines which property and assets will fall under “community” and “separate” designations.

Court orders use clear command language to ensure the divorcing couple knows their obligations and restrictions. Court orders contain very concise, unambiguous language, so any violations of the orders will be very apparent. If one spouse claims a court order is too vague or doesn’t account for specific factors unique to the couple’s situation, the court may review an order to further clarify it.

Possible Punishments for Court Order Violations

Depending on the severity of the violation, a person found in contempt of a court order may face many possible punishments. If the person simply misinterpreted the court order, the court can review the order for clarity to prevent future confusion. For a first-time violation, the court may slightly alter the divorce agreement or provide a temporary provision to prevent future violations. For intentional violations of a court order, the violator may be subject to fines, loss of custody, even jail time.

It’s essential to understand the serious problems that come with violating a court order. Austin enforcement of court orders attorney Abraham Kant, of SSJM Family Law, is here to help. If you are preparing for divorce or your ex-spouse has violated your divorce agreement, reach out to our Austin enforcement of court orders lawyers to schedule a case evaluation. Mr. Kant will personally review the details of the situation and carefully explain your options and likely outcomes in a courtroom.