Contempt Motions in Seattle

Is an ex-spouse refusing to pay court-ordered alimony or child support? If so, then you likely understand that this type of irresponsible behavior can cause you a significant financial burden.

The law states that you can take action against someone defaulting on child support or alimony by filing a contempt of court motion. The Seattle contempt motion attorneys at the Washington Family Law Group can help you take the necessary steps toward filing such a motion. With more than 50 years of collective experience, our Seattle contempt lawyers can help you ask the court for help getting the support you're legally entitled to.

Children are often the most affected by parents that refuse to follow an order of support, but our Seattle contempt motion attorneys can help you take steps to collect the support they're entitled to.

When your divorce is over, you want to move on with your life quickly and without further aggravation. However, if problems arise because your ex-spouse refuses to pay court-mandated support, our Seattle divorce enforcement attorneys will file a motion with the court on your behalf.

If an ex-spouse ignores a court order, the law calls it contempt of court. If they fail to pay court-ordered support or fail to fulfill their child visitation responsibilities, our King County divorce lawyers can file a motion intended to correct their negligent behavior.

There are sometimes legitimate reasons why someone may fall behind on support responsibilities. If the problem becomes routine our Seattle contempt motion attorneys have the necessary legal footing to petition the court for assistance.

A contempt of court conviction leads to penalties that are swift and severe, and could result in expensive fines and possible time in jail. The court may also impose other fees on the person guilty of contempt, including your Seattle divorce lawyer expenses and court costs.

The most common variety of contempt of court in Washington is failure to pay child support. If your ex-spouse refuses to pay child support, then you should talk to one of our Seattle divorce enforcement attorneys to ensure your child's financial requirements are met. It's important for you to keep accurate records of your ex-spouse’s support payments, including any payments they've missed. Then, when our Seattle contempt motion attorneys file a motion, the court can act swiftly and decisively.

Courts in the State of Washington have little regard for those found in contempt, especially when their actions jeopardize the well being of a child. If you're found in contempt, punishment will revolve around preventing you from obeying the court order in the future. To accomplish this goal, a judge may issue an order for professional counseling and/or complete a parenting class. They may also issue an order for you to seek gainful employment and order a future hearing to ensure that their instructions are being followed.

If served with a contempt motion, you will want to speak with an attorney about your legal options. There are some legitimate defenses to contempt in Washington, and some of them include problems with personal and subject matter jurisdiction. It's also possible you didn't violate any court order, or your failure to obey was out of your control. You may not have even been aware a court order existed, the order was unclear, or didn't have enough time to respond.

Whatever the case may be, if you're served an order of contempt you cannot ignore it. Contact one of our Seattle contempt motion lawyers for help so that we can ensure your legal rights are protected.

You and your children shouldn't have to suffer adversity or financial hardship because of the selfish actions of an ex-spouse. Find out whether it's possible for you to file a motion in Washington family court by talking to one of our Seattle divorce enforcement attorneys without delay. Get answers specific to your Seattle contempt case, so that you can make informed decisions based on the law.

Contact one of our Seattle divorce lawyers today and find out how you can take steps to protect you and your children's legal rights.