What Happens If You Don't Follow Divorce Paper Orders?

Neither you nor your ex can interfere with the custody or visitation rights of the other. This means that if the court awarded your ex physical custody of your child in the divorce and gave you visitation rights, your ex must let you have your child on the dates and times outlined in the divorce decree -- and you must pick up and return your child when required as well. If you violate the custody order, especially repeatedly, your ex-spouse can call the police and force you to return the child, file contempt of court charges against you, or seek to modify the custody order altogether. If you violate other provisions concerning custody, such as not paying for insurance or extracurricular activities, or if you don't abide by the restrictions as to who can live in your home, it might also result in contempt charges or modified orders.

If you don't comply with the property terms of your divorce, such as not handing over certain property to your ex as ordered, she can take you back to court to enforce the order. Depending on the laws in your state, this can result in the court ordering you to give up the property and pay damages to your ex for court costs and attorney fees. The court could also hold you in contempt, which might result in fines and jail time.

If you were ordered to pay child support to your ex-spouse and fall behind or stop, either your ex-spouse or local child support enforcement agency can seek an enforcement order from the court. This can result in the withholding of a portion of your wages to pay the arrears, the garnishment of your bank accounts, the suspension of your driver, recreational and professional licenses, the revoking of your passport, the seizure of your tax refunds and a contempt charge. If you're unable to meet your support obligation, perhaps due to reduced hours at the job, you must request a modification of the order through the court or child support enforcement agency.

If you were ordered to pay alimony, also known as spousal support or spousal maintenance, to your ex-spouse, you cannot reduce or stop your payments unless a court gives you permission to do so. This requires submitting a modification request to the court and demonstrating that your circumstances have substantially changed, such as if you had a drop in income due to a job loss or disability. If the court doesn't modify your alimony obligation and you stop paying, your ex can take you back to court. Although state laws vary, common enforcement methods include garnishment of wages, seizure of property and bank accounts, and holding you in contempt.