Enforcing Divorce Agreements

Having trouble enforcing a court order in Long Island?

While divorcing couples often work hard to reach an agreement to obtain a final judgment of divorce, sometimes the final court order does not resolve everything or prevent unforeseeable circumstances from changing how well one party complies with the divorce agreement. Once the Court has entered a final judgment of divorce, it is expected that the divorcing parties will comply with the terms of the divorce, besides, with uncontested divorces the spouses generally come up with the agreement together with the help of their attorney, and should therefore follow through with the terms of the divorce as agreed upon. Unfortunately, not all spouses adhere to the terms of their agreement.

Whether non-compliance resulted from financial difficulties, an intentional and willful disregard of a court order, or another reason, it can be very difficult for the other party since such violations are commonly associated with child support payments, spousal support, child custody, visitation, or property division, all of which are very personal matters. When the breaching party fails to abide by the rules set forth in the agreement, legal action can be taken on behalf of the non-breaching party to enforce the divorce agreement.

Long Island Divorce Lawyer Protecting Your Rights

If your ex-spouse has failed to comply with a court order, fortunately you have legal recourse to enforce compliance. If a court finds that a party has willfully ignored or disobeyed a court order, he or she may be held in "contempt of court," which may incur penalties including jail time. In cases where a parent has failed to pay child support, he or she may face a series of enforcement actions including wage garnishment, driver's license suspension, bank account seizure and more.

At the Rubenfeld Law Firm, our Long Island divorce attorney has been representing clients in all aspects of divorce as well as enforcing court orders and petitioning for post-judgment modifications for over 30 years. Whether you need assistance enforcing a divorce agreement or if you are being accused of violating a court order or are facing contempt charges due to financial hardship or a significant change in circumstances, we can help and we're here to guide you every step of the way. Depending on the facts of the case, we may be able to help you get an order modified so that it can resolve the problem and turn things around in your favor.