A Massachusetts Complaint for Contempt is a legal document filed in either a District Court or a Probate and Family Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is used to seek relief when a party to a court order has disobeyed or failed to comply with the court’s orders. The complaint can be filed by either the party who received the order or the party who is alleged to have disobeyed it. There are two types of Massachusetts Complaint for Contempt: criminal contempt and civil contempt. Criminal contempt is a criminal offense that can lead to jail time or fines. Civil contempt is a civil action that results in a court order to do something that the party has failed to do, such as paying child support, or to stop doing something that the party should not have done, such as harassing the other party. In either case, the court may impose sanctions to encourage compliance.