When your divorce is finalized, you and your ex will both receive a copy of the same document, which is called a divorce decree. Did you know, though, that this decree is a court-ordered decree? In other words, you both must follow what it says if you want to avoid legal problems in the future. If you are following it but your ex is not, here are some of the steps you can take to enforce what this document says.
Confront your ex
The first thing you might want to do in this situation is to confront your ex about what is going on. For example, if your ex was supposed to give you certain assets and will not hand them over, ask for them and give him or her a deadline. If you ask him or her about the issue and still get no response or solution to it, you should talk to him or her about the seriousness of this issue. Failing to abide by the divorce decree is contempt of court, which basically means that the person is breaking the law. If your spouse still does not take you seriously and will not follow through with what the decree says, you should visit a divorce lawyer.
Send a letter to your ex
The first step the lawyer might recommend is sending a letter to your spouse, and this is something the lawyer will do for you. Your ex might be more apt to take the letter and the request more seriously if it comes straight from a lawyer's office. If this still does not get your ex to do what he or she is supposed to, the lawyer might move on to the next step.
Take your ex to court
At this point, the lawyer is likely to recommend filing a motion for contempt of court against your ex. If this happens, you will both have to go to court to remedy the issue, and the judge will likely side with you, simply because you are not the one breaking the court-ordered divorce decree. After the judge hears the situation, he or she will order your spouse to do whatever it is that needs to be done and will give him or her a deadline.
If you are in this situation and need help with an issue like this, talk to a divorce lawyer to find out what you can do about it. Contact a law firm such as Katzman Logan Halper & Bennett for more information.
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