Getting the family court in Texas to enter an order in your favor is a significant win, but it is only half the battle. The court order can be regarding alimony, property division, child visitations, or child custody, and all parties must abide by the order. If your former spouse fails to comply with the divorce terms, you may need to contact a lawyer in The Woodlands that has experience with enforcement of court orders..
A letter from your lawyer can remind the other party of what they are legally required to do and that they are expected to honor their obligations. Further action might be necessary, including forcing them to appear in court to answer for noncompliance.
You are legally expected to follow through with the family court’s divorce decree or orders about spousal maintenance, child custody, property division, or child support. The courts are legally mandated to enforce the rulings or orders if violated by any party.
At Bolton Law, we are committed to ensuring our clients’ rights and interests are upheld at every stage of their legal matter. We are on hand to provide professional guidance and assistance to ensure court orders are enforced.
Get in touch with us at 281-351-7897 if you want to pursue enforcement of a court order in The Woodlands, TX against your ex-spouse or another party.
What is Enforcement of Court Order?
If your former spouse has failed to honor their responsibilities as stipulated by a court order, the attorneys at Bolton Law can help you pursue legal action against them using several options. Even before we involve the court in ensuring the decree or ruling is upheld, we will help you reach out to the other party to determine if the problem can be resolved without going to court. If the other party is adamant, they don’t want to work with you, we can help you file an enforcement action.
The enforcement action starts with filing the required documents that ask the court to hold the other party responsible for having violated a decree or other ruling.
The court may:
- Hold the party violating the orders in contempt of court
- Enforce the payment of alimony and/or child support
- Order that property be divided or awarded according to the divorce decree
- Grant extra visitation time for a party denied their court-ordered access to a child
- Strengthen a restraining order in protection of a plaintiff’s safety
What Are the Steps for Enforcement?
Enforcing a court order involves filing a lawsuit that asks the court to force a party to obey a judge’s decision. If the party does not comply with the court’s order, he or she may be held in contempt. The penalty for being in contempt of court can include sanctions, fines, and jail time.
At Bolton Law, we know how to handle cases in which an individual does not want to meet their court-ordered obligations.
Filing a Motion for Enforcement
There are several ways to be out of compliance with a court order: If a party fails to pay spousal support or child support in the amount specified by decree, or doesn’t properly distribute account funds or property, for example, they can be held in contempt of court.
The motion for enforcement will include the reasons for believing the other party is out of compliance with court’s order. Once the motion for enforcement is filed with the court, a date is set for a judge to hear the motion and consider the request for enforcement of the original order.
Call us at 281-351-7897 if you want to pursue enforcement of a court order in The Woodlands, TX against your former spouse or another party
Filing a Motion for Contempt
The attorneys at Bolton Law in The Woodlands can help you prepare and file a motion for contempt when your former spouse fails to honor a court order regarding mandated obligations set out in the decree. After you file a motion for contempt, the family court judge might issue an “order to show cause” compelling your former spouse to appear in court to explain why they should not be held in contempt. If the court determines the other party’s actions amount to a willful violation, it may impose sanctions including fines and/or jail time.
Do I Need a Post-Judgement Enforcement Lawyer?
The short answer is, yes.
Family courts have a service center with staff who can give you the forms to fill out and instructions on
how to file them yourself, but many people who start out on their own with this type of lawsuit
usually end up having to get an attorney to secure a favorable result. At Bolton Law, we are here for
you, whether you are pursuing a motion for enforcement or a motion for contempt, and we can help
you get it right the first time!
Call us at 281-351-7897 to pursue enforcement of a court order in The Woodlands, Texas against your former spouse or other party. Our attorneys will shoulder the responsibility of filing the correct documents and making sure your rights and interests are protected.
Call a Bolton Law Attorney About Enforcement of Court Order Today
If the other party to your family law case has failed to honor their responsibilities as stipulated in a court order, the attorneys at Bolton Law can help you take legal action. Their failure to comply necessitates seeking enforcement of the order.
Get in touch with us at 281-351-7897 today and let our experienced law team provide the professional and practical guidance you need to make sure court orders are enforced.
