After your divorce in Texas, you must follow all of the terms of your divorce agreement. A divorce agreement has just as much power as any court order, and not following the terms of your agreement could lead to more conflict and legal problems.
Here at the Lone Star Law Firm, we advise clients about the dangers of violating a divorce agreement and the actions a court may take to enforce it.
Ex-spouses may violate their divorce agreements in a number of ways, such as failing to follow the directions regarding property or asset division.
In a divorce, hurt feelings may last a long time, but it is never a good idea to express your anger at your ex by violating the divorce agreement. If you ignore or willfully violate your divorce agreement’s terms, your ex may get the court to help enforce the order.
One of the most common methods of enforcement is a motion to find the other party in contempt. If you violated a clause from the divorce decree, the other party must prove you did so willfully.
For contempt, you will have to appear in court again. Your ex-spouse must prove that you knew the terms of the order and violated it despite having the means to follow the order. If the judge finds you in contempt, he or she could issue additional orders, more sanctions, fines, or even jail time, according to Texas state law.
If you are having trouble following the terms of your divorce decree, do not take matters into your own hands and violate the conditions. More information about divorce decree modifications is available on our webpage.
