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Enforcement of Judgments in Missouri

How to Enforce Child Support, Child Custody, Child Visitation, and Spousal Support Orders

Sometimes people don’t do what they’ve been ordered to do. If a party is ignoring or failing to comply with a legal judgment, an attorney for another party involved in the case can take legal action to enforce the judgment. The attorneys at The Law Firm of Lorri Kline are dedicated to protecting their clients’ interests in this way.

Failure to follow a spousal support order in a divorce decree or the conditions set forth in a child custody plan or child support order results in hardship for the family, both economic and emotional. The other parties must return to court to file a motion for contempt to force the noncooperating party to follow the order.

When a judge enters an order of contempt, a former spouse or parent may face:

  • Garnishment of wages
  • Seizure of property through a lien attachment
  • Changed child custody arrangements
  • Fine
  • Jail time

Even if a contempt order is not entered, a judge may still garnish wages or attach liens to the property owned by the former spouse or parent.