You left court expecting the order to mean something. When payments stop, parenting time is blocked, or required property never changes hands, we help you turn repeated frustration into a documented enforcement plan.
A contempt action in Georgia enforces an existing custody order rather than creating new terms (O.C.G.A. 19-9-23(b)), so a parent in Lawrenceville uses contempt to hold the other parent to the current custody arrangement.
Contempt also enforces the terms of a Georgia divorce decree, such as support, property, and parenting obligations (O.C.G.A. 19-6-28), so a party in Lawrenceville can use contempt to enforce what the divorce ordered.
If circumstances have genuinely changed, the proper step in Georgia is generally a modification, not contempt, because contempt enforces an existing order rather than changing it (O.C.G.A. 19-9-23(b), 19-9-3), so a parent in Lawrenceville whose situation has changed typically files for modification.
Call (770) 285-1673 to request a free case evaluation.
Living in the county seat does not make an ignored order easier to live with. How many reminders should you have to send? Will the missed support or parenting time ever be addressed? Are you expected to return to court just to receive what was already ordered? We help Lawrenceville clients organize the pattern and focus on what can be proved.
From our Lawrenceville office, Daniels & Taylor, P.C. helps Gwinnett County families enforce their orders.
What most people pay for a case evaluation to learn
- Contempt enforces an order you already have; it does not change it. What this means for you: if the other parent disobeys a custody, support, or divorce order, you ask the court to enforce it; to change the order you file a separate modification. (O.C.G.A. 19-9-23(b))
- The violation has to be willful. What this means for you: an honest inability to pay is a defense to a support contempt; the question is whether they could comply and chose not to. (O.C.G.A. 19-6-28)
How a contempt case works in Georgia
Contempt is how you enforce an existing order when the other person willfully refuses to follow it. The court can compel compliance, and for a willful refusal it can order jail until the person complies, a purgeable, coercive remedy, so no one can promise that the other side will be jailed (O.C.G.A. 19-6-28). What this means for you: the focus is proving a willful violation and getting the order obeyed.
Where a contempt case is filed
A contempt is filed in the same court that entered the order you are enforcing, the court that issued your order, not necessarily where either of you lives now. If your order came from the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, that is where the contempt belongs. We confirm the right court and handle the filing and hearing.
When the order is clear but the conduct is not
Do a few missed obligations justify action?
Frequency matters, but so do seriousness, timing, and the exact wording of the order. A review can show whether the problem is isolated or part of an enforceable pattern.
What should I save?
Keep the signed order, payment history, calendars, messages, notices, and a dated list of each event.
Can the court force compliance?
Courts may have enforcement options when the proof and legal standard are met, but the available response depends on the facts and no remedy can be promised.
What if the other person blames me?
Do not answer by withholding support, access, or property yourself. Preserve the communication and keep your own conduct aligned with the order.
Put the order and the facts side by side
Bring the order and whatever record you have, even if it is incomplete. A free case evaluation can help identify what needs proof and what step may deserve consideration.
Call (770) 285-1673 or contact us online. You can reach our after-hours answering service to schedule your case evaluation.
Related Gwinnett family-law pages
This page is general legal information about Georgia contempt and does not create an attorney client relationship. Every case is different. For advice about your situation, contact Daniels & Taylor, P.C. for a free case evaluation.
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Daniels & Taylor, P.C. is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, serving families across Gwinnett County and the metro Atlanta area.