Contempt of Court in California

Contempt of court order is a legal remedy that is available to either party in a family law case after an order or a judgment is entered when the other party fails to comply with the order. These orders may include provisions about what the parties are to do or refrain from doing. These orders may arise in several different areas, including, for example, spousal or child support, child custody, and visitation, or a certain division of assets.

In California family law cases contempt of court is treated in substantially the same manner as a criminal misdemeanor case. In cases of contempt, the burden is on the petitioning party to prove the circumstances of the contempt beyond a reasonable doubt. The person filing the support-related contempt motion will be required to prove that: