What You Need to Know About Contempt After Divorce in the State of Arizona
Once a divorce in Arizona has begun in court and once a judge has made all of his or her rulings and all decisions have been made on both sides, if you willfully violate the orders of the judge, you could be found in contempt.
You can be found in contempt for a number of different issues, including things like the failure to pay any child support in any amount, the failure to pay any amount of spousal support, and finally, for making it difficult for another parent to have his or her parenting time with any child you share from a prior marriage.
Why an Arizona Judge May Rule that You are in Contempt
An Arizona family court judge may rule that you are in contempt for the above listed reasons, or because you have willfully chosen to not comply with any other court order s/he may have issued based on one or more of the unique details of your specific divorce case.
If you are found to be in contempt in Arizona because you willfully violated a judge’s orders, the penalties can be relatively harsh. For instance, the courts may decide that you must spend time in jail and/or that you must pay your ex-spouse’s court fees if you failed to pay any child support or spousal support.
In addition to this, you can have the wages you earned at work garnished by the courts if your particular contempt charge involves the nonpayment of child support or spousal support. This is just one way a judge will ensure that the court’s orders are satisfied and can come in addition to time spent in jail and other penalties.
Continue reading “Contempt for Nonpayment of Spousal or Child Support in Arizona”
