What happens if you disobey a court order

If the children refuse to visit, you still need to encourage them to spend time with the other parent or other people who are important to them unless there is a risk to them. The court will not force a parent to spend time with them. If you want the other parent to take more responsibility you can try family counselling or dispute resolution.

If the arrangements for your child are no longer working, a court order will continue to apply until you get new consent orders , a new parenting order , or make a new parenting plan. If the court orders are no longer working, you should get legal advice about how to change them. To make changes you can:. The court has wide powers to deal with people who breach parenting orders.

If the court finds a person breached an order without a reasonable excuse, it can:. If a parent disobeys an order multiple times, or if the court believes the parenting order is being ignored, there may be more severe penalties. To be held in contempt of court can result in serious consequences and persons can be liable to a fine or worse, imprisonment, upon conviction. This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice.

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Ignoring a court order because the court is wrong. The judge must determine if the court order is valid and ensure that the individual required to comply with said order had the ability to do so. To enforce an order by civil contempt, an individual must willfully fail to comply with the order. As such, if the individual does not posses the ability to comply, you may not be held in contempt of court for violating this order.

For example, if you pay child support but get injured and are unable to work for a period of time, you may be able to prove you were unable to comply with your court order.

If you need assistance enforcing a court order, contact our office online or via By Krusch Law, PLLC November 12, If you ignore or fail to adhere to a legally binding family court order, you could find yourself held in contempt of court.

In some cases, the penalty for a violation is a fine, with the judge determining the amount on the basis of the contents of the court order. In cases where the order was a demand to pay compensatory funds to someone, the judge can require the subject to pay interest on the money in addition to paying the principal balance.

People who receive a judgment against them with an order to pay money but know they cannot pay it should meet with the court to discuss a payment plan and other options. In the case of an order to appear in court, the judge can issue a bench warrant to make the person show up. Police officers and other law enforcement will receive a copy of the warrant, and they can bring the person into court to face a hearing.