Enforcement
Once court orders are put in place, both parties are expected to follow them. If your ex-spouse is not paying child support or alimony, or if he or she has consistently broken parenting arrangements, we have a range of tools available that may help with the enforcement. When feasible, we work with parent coordinators to mediate and arbitrate issues between the parents. If that is ineffective, we may also be able to use legal coercion, which includes punishments through fines, deduction from wages and even jail time.
Outlining Florida's Enforcement Policy
Florida's UCCJEA is modeled directly after similar federal legislation that promotes uniform procedures among all 50 states. This law has been adopted in all 50 states, preventing courts from making different or conflicting custody or support orders when a family relocates.
The state in which your children currently reside will recognize and enforce the current child custody or child support order. This important measure ensures that your visitation and child support rights are recognized and protected here or anywhere else you reside in the United States.
Options for Enforcing Child Support and Alimony Orders
At the Law Office of Kathleen A. DeChristopher, Esq., P.A. our family law attorneys are prepared to enforce child support and alimony orders through:
Motion for contempt :
If one party fails to fulfill their child support or alimony requirements, we will file a motion for the other party to appear in court and defend their
actions. Failure to comply could result in jail time or substantial financial consequences for the opposing side.
Wage garnishment :
Employers are required to withhold earnings for individuals who fail to pay their child support or spousal support. This is an inexpensive way to collect
payments if you know the name of your ex- spouse's employer.
Automatic wage deduction :
Similar to wage garnishment, this option requires non-custodial parents to have child custody or spousal maintenance funds automatically withdrawn from
their paycheck.
Contact Us Today for a Free Initial Consultation
Contact or call our law firm at 239-634-9715 right away if you and your children have relocated to Florida and need to enforce a custody, visitation or support order from another state. We will take care of the process from start to finish, while seeking to preserve you legal rights.