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Enforcing the Comtempt Order (Pro Se)

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sooverit76

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Alabama

I have posted before but my thread got closed. Just a quick update and a question. Went to court, ex didn't show up. Court granted everything including extra for medical bills, etc. He was told he had to pay everything in 90 days and begin paying his child support on May 1 and every month thereafter. At this point, I have still not seen any child support. Therefore, he has completely disobeyed the court order by not paying anything for the months of May and June and the arrearages (although he has 90 days to pay that.) I believe therefore that he has chosen not to purge the charges, and should therefore be put in jail for the 30 days the court ordered.

How do I go about getting the courts to enforce the contempt order? Do I need to file anything else or go up there and have them issue a bench warrant and pick him up? He is obviously not going to pay, and I am feeling like if I don't enforce this, he will not think I am serious.

Please advise.

Thanks.

So Over It.
 


sooverit76

Junior Member
I have already gone and got the contempt charges against him, and the jusge signed all the paperwork and he's aware of all of them and has been served. My question is, is there something I need to file to enforce the contempt charges? Do I just need to go up to the court and ask them to issue the warrant? I just don't know this works. Thanks for the links.
 

sooverit76

Junior Member
I forgot to mention...I did everything on my own...I did not go through DHR. They wouldn't help me unless he was 2 years behind.
 

sooverit76

Junior Member
I went to court in March. They awarded me everything and charged him with contempt (he didn't show). The only way he can purge the charges is to pay the arrearages and make payments monthly beginning in May (which he has not). So he should be in jail. How do I get him there? I don't think he thinks I am serious and he just don"t care! I need the help to get out of this 2 br apt I am in with his 2 kids. They need their own rooms as they are getting older.
 

Artemis_ofthe_Hunt

Senior Member
I went to court in March. They awarded me everything and charged him with contempt (he didn't show). The only way he can purge the charges is to pay the arrearages and make payments monthly beginning in May (which he has not). So he should be in jail. How do I get him there? I don't think he thinks I am serious and he just don"t care! I need the help to get out of this 2 br apt I am in with his 2 kids. They need their own rooms as they are getting older.
If he's in jail, how is he going to pay his support? Just a thought. I understand what you're going through. I really do, but wouldn't it be easier to file for a wage withholding? Without looking at your history, he is working, isn't he?
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
If he's in jail, how is he going to pay his support? Just a thought. I understand what you're going through. I really do, but wouldn't it be easier to file for a wage withholding? Without looking at your history, he is working, isn't he?
OP needs to file for contempt again, to get it back in front of the judge.

I suspect that if wage withholding was possible, the situation wouldn't be where it is now.

Sometimes spending a few days in jail is the only thing that motivates a parent to obey the court orders. Sometimes even that doesn't make a difference.
 

TheGeekess

Keeper of the Kraken
Some counties in Alabama use work release for their inmates in for contempt of CS cases; when the CS is caught up, they are released.

OP, since you seem to be having problems collecting CS, I don't understand why you haven't turned it all over to DHR and let them handle it. For $25/yr, it's not a bad bargain. :cool:
 

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