What Can I Do If My Spouse Is Disobeying Court Orders?

What are you supposed to do if your spouse isn’t complying with court-ordered alimony or support? If they're unwilling to listen to reason, we may need to take them back to court. Spouses can file a contempt action, also known as an enforcement action. Your spouse would be brought before the court and would likely be given a sanction to pay what they owe, plus your attorney’s fees. The court order would mean if they continue refusing to pay, they would face jail time, usually with a purge amount. What’s a purge amount? The amount your spouse has to come up with in order to get out of jail.

In our experience, non-compliant spouses usually take two or three hours to come up with the required money. If your spouse is refusing to pay court-ordered support, you have a legal remedy with the power to hold them accountable. Speak with our firm to learn your options.