What happens if I defy divorce court orders?

Divorce can be a very difficult arrangement to survive.  If the divorce is not amicable, the court may make rulings and decisions which the divorced couple has no choice but obey. Divorce court orders can vary, but generally are arrangements regarding many of the same decisions all couples must make when breaking up.

In many cases the divorce court orders will mandate certain things regarding support, custody and the division of property.  When the couple leaves the court with these orders in hand, it doesn't mean that they intend to obey them.  This is where defying divorce court orders begin, and unfortunately it happens far too often.

It depends upon which court order a person defies, but the consequences are generally quite serious. 

If an individual decides to defy the court regarding child custody by not allowing the other spouse access to his/her child as per the order, they can be charged with kidnapping.  This is usually the case when a parent flees with their child to avoid following a custody order.  If the parent goes across state lines in an effort to keep the child from the other parent, that parent can be charged with a felony and even receive jail time.

During the divorce proceedings the court may order that information be turned over for review in the divorce trial.  Failure to do so results in contempt of court, which can result in fines and or jail time. An example might be when one of the spouses has information regarding hidden assets (perhaps in another country), which he/she doesn't want divided in the divorce case proceedings.

Alimony and child support are court orders that quite often get defied.  Defying these court orders can result in the individual being compelled to pay by the court which can have the person's wages garnished, or tax return garnished so that payments are made automatically from his/her employer to the other parent and are taken from the paycheck before they are ever seen by the other parent.

Court orders are fully supported by law enforcement, so defying them is a poor decision which can result in criminal charges and fines.