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What does contempt order final mean for child support?
Anonymous5 views2 answers
My sons father is behind $7,423.64, he hasnt paid in two yrs besides three weeks he was working last month and he no longer has that job because he was on heroin on the job. Iknow alot ofbpeople who went to jail and owed alot less. He only ever did 2 one month stints in jail and ge only stayed that long vecause of his drug use and violation of pobation. Now he had a contempt conference yestersay and the docket says contempt order final whatdoes that mean
George Christopher Miller Jr.Family Law AttorneyGreensburg, PA ·
The name given to orders of court differs in each county. However, if it says "final," it typically means the order in some way fully addressed the current allegations of non-payment.
Whether your ex goes to jail depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is the views of the judge, fortunately or unfortunately. The consideration many judges turn on when ordering a party to go to jail is their ability to pay and the reason they can't pay, if any.
You will have to review the order in your case at Domestic Relations, but it is not unusual for the court to commit the non-paying party to jail, until and unless they pay a "purge" amount on their arrears.
Functionally, this usually means that a "deadbeat" parent will simply bring enough money with them to stay out of jail until the next period of non-payment.
Obviously, you'd need to speak to your local Domestic Relations Section.
