A Better Look at Post-Divorce Issues Such as Contempt Actions

Every time a married couple gets divorced in the state of Pennsylvania, the men and women involved can typically come to an understanding on the terms. Most people strive to be reasonable to their former partner, and most people wants to make sure that their children are provided for financially as well as emotionally. It may be surprising to know that some 95% of divorce cases in the United States tend to be uncontested, and this underscores just how much divorcing husbands and wives do try to find an arrangement that's mutually appropriate.

Nevertheless, there are still those five percent of cases that must be decided by a order from the court, and even in uncontested divorce cases the court could be called on to take action when the terms and conditions of the divorce process are not being honored at some point later on. One of the terms and conditions that's regularly violated is that of child support payments. Failure to pay for court ordered child support has reached crisis levels in this nation, and statistics indicate that virtually 50 % of child support payments which have been ordered tend to be paid entirely. 25% turn out not paid at all, and when this happens, it is the children who often suffer the most, which is one of the main reasons why the court usually takes such a strong view of child support delinquency.

When someone is not paying court ordered child support, a contempt action will be filed. If the person is found guilty of contempt of court because of failing to pay child support, he or she has committed a crime and could be subject to incarceration. This is a severe measure, however, and the court will often give the man or woman an opportunity to bring the payments up to date prior to imposing more severe penalties. Failure to pay child support is definitely the most frequent cause for contempt actions, but there are others too, such as a failure to pay alimony and also breach of a restraining or protective order. A person will also be held in contempt by failing to accommodate court ordered rights, like visitation or shared custody either physical or legal. While contempt actions are there to guarantee compliance with court orders, not every one that's filed will have merit, hence those accused of contempt definitely have every right to claim their innocence in front of the court.

Anyone who's in the middle of post-divorce matters such as contempt actions should always retain the assistance of a knowledgeable Pittsburgh family attorney. The best divorce lawyer Pittsburgh will provide you with the help you may need with your Pittsburgh PA divorce.