What Happens If My Ex Spouse Doesn’t Follow a Court Order?

Court orders are the foundation of family law. A court order is a ruling issued by a judge that requires a party to do or to abstain from doing a specified act. Though it may not be a law, it’s an official ruling you must follow based on your specific circumstances.

The most common examples of a court order include:

What Happens When a Court Order is Ignored?

A court order may not be law, but it’s still an official ruling that should be taken seriously. If your ex doesn’t follow every aspect of an order, they may be found in civil contempt of the law.

If you take your ex to court because they aren’t following your agreement, the courts will first try to determine if the contempt was willful or non-willful:

Willful contempt: Your ex knew about the order and was emotionally, financially, and physically able to comply, but chose not to.
Non-willful contempt: Your ex wasn’t able to comply with the order because of reasons out of their control. The most common example of this is a parent not being able to pay child support because they recently lost their job.

If your ex isn’t following a court order, a judge will likely try to modify the agreement so that it works for the both of you. However, long-term, repeat offenders may face more serious consequences, including fines, jail time, and loss of privileges (such as custody of their child).

Contact the Women of Blood Law

If you have a court order in place, you’re entitled to the results of that ruling. At Blood Law, PLLC, we believe in helping our clients achieve their goals – no matter how complex their divorce or other family law issue may be. Our lawyers provide tailored legal services with a unique, team-based approach to do our best to achieve these results.

To learn more about our legal services, contact our lawyers online or give us a call at (704) 286-0570.