Breaking the Rules: What to do if Your Ex Isn't Following a Court Order or Separation Agreement.

The episode's topic is the serious implications of violating a court order, specifically in the context of family law.

Violating Court Orders:

• Discuss common ways people violate court orders, including not following custody or child support orders.
• An explanation is that judges are not pleased with non-compliance and the importance of settling cases to have a say in the outcome.
• Once a judge gives an order, it must be followed. Even if one has a custody order, law enforcement may not get involved.

Remedies for Violation:

• If one is constantly late for exchanges or violates the order in other ways, the remedy often starts with contacting an attorney.
• Options include contacting the other party's attorney to resolve the issue without court intervention.
• If resolution is not possible, filing a motion for an order to show cause and motion for contempt is the next step.

Repercussions and Types of Contempt:

• Courts have a wide range of repercussions. Two types of contempt are discussed: civil and criminal.
• Civil contempt can lead to jail until compliance is achieved, and criminal contempt is seen as punishment.
• Discussion on the power of judges to modify custody or support orders and the likelihood of immediate payment once jailed.

Understanding Court Orders:

• Importance of having an order in place and the challenges if there's no signed order in the court file.
• Frustration when parties continue to do as they please without a signed order and the limits of what attorneys can do in such cases.

Criteria for Contempt and Costs:

• Trivial violations like being 15 minutes late may not be enough for contempt.
• The financial aspect of filing another motion and going to court is highlighted.