In most divorce cases today, the courts urge the couple to attempt to work together to come to an agreement on the issues pertaining to the divorce before they take the issues to trial. While there are many reasons for this, the biggest reason is that giving both parties negotiating power also means they are more likely to follow certain orders after the divorce is finalized. For many couples, no court intervention is needed because they are able to negotiate a divorce agreement with the help of their attorneys or a mediator. However, some cases have circumstances in which you may need the help of the court to complete your divorce.

One of those circumstances is the presence of domestic violence in the home. Domestic violence is one of the most complicated social and societal issues that exists throughout the United States. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than 12 million men and women experience some form of domestic violence each year. Most people think of domestic violence as simply being an act of violence, but for most perpetrators, it is more about holding power over the victim. Domestic violence is a serious issue and it can also have an extremely negative effect on your divorce.

What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence or abuse is a term that encompasses a variety of harmful and hurtful behaviors and can be found in families from many different racial, educational, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many people tend to focus on the violent aspect of domestic abuse, but the main and most important component of domestic violence and domestic abuse is control. A person does not just commit acts of domestic violence or abuse every once in a while because they just “lose their temper” sometimes. A person commits acts of domestic violence and abuse to attempt to gain control over the victim through acts of guilt, shame, fear, and intimidation.

In a divorce, you end up having to make a lot of compromises. The divorce process involves a series of negotiations, many of which you might leave feeling as if you did not get what you wanted, but it has been said before: a good compromise is when both parties are dissatisfied. Compromise can indeed sometimes feel as if you have lost, but when it comes to your divorce, you should do everything you can to adhere to the compromises you agreed to. If not, the court may end up holding you in contempt.

Understanding Contempt of Court

Contempt of court occurs when a person does something that a judge or a court order has prohibited them from doing or required them to do. In most cases of contempt in family court, people are held in contempt because they have not obeyed or have violated an official order, such as a custody arrangement or support order.

If a person believes that their spouse is purposefully disobeying a court order, they can ask the judge to hold their spouse in contempt of court. A hearing will then be held to determine whether or not the spouse was actually in contempt and what consequences should be applied. For a person to be held in contempt, it must be proven that they:

By Maxine Weiss Kunz

There is a lot of information online. Now, there are even legal forms on the Internet. Some of these forms are free, and some of these forms are pay per click types. Regardless of cost, is it safe or wise for legal consumers to use these forms?

Most DIY (do it yourself) forms are highly generic. They often hold the least amount of required legalese to pass as a qualified form. Depending on the need you are trying to fit, that may be okay for you. However, any lawyer will tell you that the final document should still be reviewed by a professional in the field specific to your legal matter.