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Injunctions and Contempt in Tennessee Divorce Law
| Written by divorce and family lawyers with the Crone & Mason, plc Family Law Practice Group, our attorneys provide details of Tennessee divorce and other family law issues including answers to many frequently asked questions. Offices serving Nashville and Memphis Tennessee and surrounding area. Copyright, Crone & Mason, plc, 2007. |
Injunctions are orders of the court that aim to protect individuals from harm. If a party to a lawsuit violates an injunction or other court order, the court may order the offending individual to jail or order the payment of a fine. A common type of injunction in domestic relations cases protects individuals from stalking, domestic violence, or even telephone harassment. See the domestic violence section. Another common injunction prevents individuals from stealing or wasting marital funds.
Contempt of court is the most common method a court may use to enforce its orders. First, one party must bring the violation of a court order to the attention of the judge. This is done by filing a Petition for Contempt. This pleading tells the court that an order existed and was willfully violated. One common example is the failure to pay child support. Most petitions ask the court to award attorney's fees to the party who the files the Petition and ask the court to compel the violator to follow the order or risk being sentenced to jail. Contempt petitions can be tricky. Very specific laws apply. Courts undertake the responsibility of enforcing their orders very seriously.
Memphis Divorce Lawyer: 5100 Poplar Avenue | Suite 3200 | Memphis, Tennessee TN (USA) 38137 | Tel: (901) 683-1850 | Fax: (901) 683-1963
Nashville Divorce Lawyer: 205 Powell Place | Brentwood, Tennessee TN (USA) 37027 | Tel: (615) 369-0640 | Fax: (615) 369-0639
Email: firm@cronemason.com
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