Divorce Lawyer
Parting ways from a spouse isn’t easy, and skilled attorneys understand just how frustrating it can be to have your ex also be uncooperative after the separation. Perhaps you agreed upon alimony during mediation, or a court judge established the terms. Either way, there are tactics to try that can hopefully motivate your spouse to pay alimony. The court doesn’t take lightly any payment deficits when it comes to alimony. To protect your rights and seek the payment you need on a regular basis, contact a divorce attorney for support today.
Why Hasn’t Your Spouse Paid?
Whether your spouse has refused to pay from the start or suddenly stopped sending checks, it is important to figure out why this neglect has occurred. Maybe your spouse lost a job or was in an accident. If this is the case, courts can suspend or decrease alimony until that spouse returns to work again. But, if payments still haven’t arrived despite an improved situation, it is in your best interest to talk with an attorney right away.
Is Your Spouse Just Resentful?
If your spouse hasn’t paid simply because they refuse to, then the process for seeking payments may be a little different. Most often, spouses intentionally disregard paying alimony because they are resentful about giving their ex money after divorce. If you believe this is why your spouse hasn’t paid, an attorney will likely suggest filing a motion to the court.
What Does Filing a Motion to Court Entail?
A spouse that isn’t paying alimony for a legitimate reason may need to be motivated by the court system instead. You can file a claim to the court about the lack of payments by completing a series of paperwork. You can go to your local court or find these documents online. An attorney can review such paperwork before sending it in to ensure that everything is written correctly and there are no empty spaces. The judge may then enforce an order that your spouse makes these payments and to not be late in the future.
If the spouse continues to be careless, the judge may hold him or her in contempt of court and order jail time to be served. A portion of the spouse’s income may also be forcibly withheld and transferred to the recipient spouse, otherwise referred to as “wage garnishment.”
Experienced lawyers understand how frustrating it can be to not receive rightfully owed financial support from a person’s former spouse. You may rely on this income as a way to pay bills, purchase groceries, afford rent, and other necessities of living. Divorce lawyers do not take this matter lightly and will do what they can to see that your spouse finally pays up. Contact a lawyer, like a divorce lawyer from Pioletti Pioletti & Nichols, to see how he or she can be of assistance in your case.