Motions for Contempt: Filed when a spouse fails to comply with court orders regarding financial obligations like child support or alimony. Contempt motions can result in legal penalties for the non-compliant party, such as fines or even jail time, and are used in cases of severe non-compliance.
The Motion for Contempt must be personally served on the non-abiding party, since some types of contempt may result in jail time. A process server or a constable must personally serve the person, and file their sworn statement with the Court. After service, there must be 21 days before the hearing can be set.
In a direct contempt proceeding, the trial court may conduct a summary proceeding in which the alleged contemnor is not entitled to notice or a hearing. A contemnor who commits direct contempt is generally found to be in contempt of court immediately after committing the offending conduct and ingly punished.
Go to the clerk's office at the court that made the orders. Give the clerk your completed Motion for Contempt and Appearance forms. The clerk will write a hearing date and time on the motion, sign it, and give it back to you. The hearing date is when you and the other person must go to court.
If you were held in contempt of court for missing hearings, it's essential to address this issue promptly with an attorney's help. They can assist you in filing a motion to request a modification of the court's orders, explain the reasons for missing the hearings, and advocate for your case.
A contempt motion is a motion filed in family court when the other parent doesn't obey a court order. The court order is most often based upon the agreement of the parties but sometimes is based upon solely a prior order entered by the judge.
A motion to enforce is about getting the court to ensure that an existing order is followed. In contrast, a motion for contempt is about holding someone accountable for not following a court order and can result in penalties like fines or even jail time.
Section 21.002(b) of the Texas Government Code provides that punishment for a single act of contempt is a fine of not more than $500, confinement in the county jail for not more than six months, or both.