Did you know that there are numerous reasons as to why you may find yourself in the need of a family law attorney who specializes in modification/contempt cases? If you find yourself in any of the following situations do not go about it alone. Having a skilled family law attorney on your side that has a vast amount of experience in modification/contempt directives can either make or break your case. So, what exactly is a modification/contempt case? Let’s start with the modification side of things.

In essence, modifications to a previously established agreement can be sough for a variety of reasons through the court system. However, the most common modification involves the amount of money that one party owes to the other in the form of child support.  Modifications to custody rights, visitation times, and alimony also top the list. For example, if the parent who is paying child support receives a significant raise at work the other parent will typically want to modify the child support payment to be higher.

However, if the parent who is paying child support loses their job they will want to modify the child support payment to be lower. Other reasons you may need a modification can be if the other parent takes on the custody, a change in the needs of the child or children who receive the support, or one of the parents becomes ill. Drugs and alcohol issues can also affect custody, which would require a modification in order to make it official. The bottom line is that you need an experienced attorney who specializes in family law modification/contempt situations if you are requesting or defending against the modification.

The other side of modification/contempt issues is contempt. That occurs when the court believes that a party has failed to comply with a court order. These court orders are associated with family law issues on a frequent basis. For example, if a party fails to pay child support or alimony, or does not comply with the division of assets they may very well be in contempt of the divorce or separation agreement. In essence, if one of the parties can actually prove that the non-compliance of a court order was willful and directly disobeyed the order, the other party can be made to pay the money that is owed.

The party at fault may even face-garnished wages, loss of drivers license, or even jail time. The bottom line is that seeking a contempt charge may be your only solid means to receive the money or terms that is owed to you. On the other hand, you may need a family law attorney to defend your case if you are the party in contempt.

If you need help with modification/contempt issues or any family law topic, please contact Zawada Family Law today. Brynn Zawada, an expert in family law, delivers the best results for her clients. She is an accomplished litigator with extensive experience representing individuals in the various district and probate courts across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Attorney Zawada’s primary focus is on complex family law matters including divorce, custody, removal, alimony, and guardianship and grandparent visitation issues.

Brynn Zawada is responsive to the fact that family issues are both complex and emotionally taxing. That is why she strives hard to guide her clients through the process as effectively and efficiently as possible while also minimizing the emotional toll on her clients.