If you are a divorced or divorcing parent and are subject to a court order relating to custody of your child or children, then you must understand there may be dire consequences for you personally if you fail to follow that order.
Court orders have the force of law
In Texas, court orders hold the force of law.
That means that violations of court orders can result in a person being found to be in contempt of court which opens the door to the possibility of either or both civil and criminal penalties. This is something you don’t want.
Civil and/or criminal penalties for disobeying
In relation to orders of custody, civil penalties may be paying for the other person’s costs, travel expenses, attorney fees as well as additional periods of possession of the child or children to make up for the deprivation of court ordered time.
Criminal penalties may include jail time. This might have to be served all at once or possibly over weekends. The jail time may also be probated and the person ordered to do community service hours and take classes as a requirement of probation.
Deon Sanders case
Look at what just happened to the wife of former NFL superstar Deon Sanders. Pilar Sanders was sentenced Tuesday to seven days in county jail on a contempt-of-court charge and lost all visitation rights to her three children. The judge found that she had violated the visitation schedule that was part of the couple’s divorce decree, that she failed to return the couple’s children when she was supposed to and took possession of them when she shouldn’t have. Ouch!
Needless to say, no parent needs the aggravation, disruption and consequences that result from violating a court order on custody.
Don’t take matters into your own hands
So if you have a problem getting a person to comply with a court order or find difficulty in complying with one, you need attorney advice on how to deal with the issue with the court. Don’t delay or find yourself in the position of violating the court order.
The Barrera Law Firm can help you right away. Call Ricardo Barrera for a free consultation at 956-428-2822.