Maryland Contempt & Court Order Enforcement Attorneys

When a dispute goes to court and the courts give an order to resolve the dispute, the parties are expected to obey the court’s orders. There are several issues that are resolved as part of a divorce decree.

Orders as to child support, child visitation, alimony, and division of assets are usually part of the divorce decree. Sometimes when one of the parties is displeased with the court’s orders they may defiantly disobey the orders that they don’t like.

There are legal processes that give the court the power to enforce any order, agreement, or settlement that is part of a divorce. If you are having trouble enforcing the orders in your divorce decree, our experienced and aggressive family law litigator at Shah & Kishore can help you.w

Call us at (301) 315-0001 to schedule a free consultation and speak with an experienced Maryland family law attorney.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer?

Proving a contempt case can be very difficult. You will need an experienced contempt of court lawyer to help you put your case together and ensure that you follow the proper procedures in the court process.

Your contempt of court lawyer will be knowledgeable about the laws regarding contempt and will know what reliefs to ask from the court. Reliefs can even include your attorney’s fees in addition to the repayment of any money owed.

What Is Contempt? 

When one party willingly and intentionally refuses to abide by the court order, they can be held in contempt of court. 

What Can Result in Contempt of Court?

A party can be held in contempt if they fail to or refuse to:

• Return their child to the other parent when visitation time ends
• Pay spousal or child support
• Deliver property as they are ordered to

What Are the Consequences of Being Held in Contempt of Court?

In Maryland, if a party has the ability to pay child or spousal support, but refuses to, the court’s contempt powers include imprisonment for the nonpaying party. The nonpaying party can also be criminally prosecuted for their refusal to pay child support.

Maryland’s mandatory earnings withholding statute can also play a role. Under this law, the employer of the nonpaying party is required to withhold a court-ordered amount and forward that amount to the child support recipient directly or through the child support agency.

In addition, if the party refuses to comply with the court order and the court is required to step in, the court may charge the non-compliant party with court costs and attorney fees. 

Enforcing Orders

The court may exercise its jurisdiction over the party who has not abided by the court order, when the following factors apply:

• He or she lives within the state
• He or she lives in a state in the United States with a reciprocal agreement with Maryland
• He or she owns property within the state 

Contact a Maryland Contempt of Court Lawyer

If you are looking for help with enforcing an order of the court, call Shah & Kishore today at (301) 315-0001. Contact us online to schedule your free consultation and we will get back to you as soon as possible.