At Vayman & Teitelbaum, P.C., our Atlanta divorce lawyers understand that when alimony or child support payments are not received, it can cause a serious financial strain on the spouse dependent on that income. Our Atlanta contempt attorneys have experience handling child support and alimony enforcement actions throughout metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia.

There are remedies available if a former spouse does not pay alimony or child support as required by a court order. Possible remedies include:

  • Garnishment;
  • An income deduction order; or
  • Filing an action for Contempt of Court

Contact the Atlanta child support enforcement lawyers at Vayman & Teitelbaum, P.C., to learn how we can help protect your rights.

 

A contempt action is brought against a party in willful violation of a court order. In the family law context, contempt actions are generally brought against a former spouse who has failed to pay alimony or child support as required by a court order. A contempt action can also be brought if a party fails to follow a court order regarding child custody or visitation. Contempt actions generally take less time than the original divorce action and are often heard by the same judge who handled the underlying divorce.

 

There are defenses to contempt actions. A defense to a motion for contempt is that the order was not violated or that the violation was not willful. But if a Georgia court finds the defendant in contempt, punishment can include incarceration, payment of past due support, and/or paying the other party’s attorney’s fees. A party in contempt for failure to make alimony or child support payments has certain protections. For example, failure to pay child support does not mean that visitation can be denied because Georgia courts typically view child support and visitation as separate issues.

For information about our family law services, please contact our firm.