The Wolkowitz Law Office

Tag: contempt of court

  • Illinois child custody: Liars common, but not invincible

    As a Chicago divorce lawyer, I see people lie frequently. Very frequently. But in a hearing a few days ago, I almost completely dismantled the opposing client under cross-examination.

    Good news: liars are often stupid

    The problem with Illinois family law is that so much of it is “he said, she said.” There is so much “creativity” in testimony that’s it’s a wonder that judges don’t burst out in laughter.

    However, the opposing party in my recent hearing seemingly has no bounds to her dishonesty. Though the case has been going on for more than six months (and my client was previously represented by a high-priced lawyer in a fancy building), the recent hearing was the first one wear the opposing client was actually made to account for her crazy accusations.

    Child custody liar folded under cross examination

    Under my cross examination, the other party stammered like a fool, to say the least. The problem for her was that her lies and intentional mischaracterizations have become so extravagant that she can’t possibly maintain believability.

    I think one of my important tasks is to help my client focus on which of the other party’s lies are potentially substantive, and which are drivel. Then, of the lies that are substantive, I believe in helping my client assembler the evidence required to expose the other party appropriately.

    People that lie in court commit perjury. It is almost impossible to get the state’s attorney to prosecute a perjury case. However, one can also be held in contempt of court for lying in court – an option I’m more than willing to explore for my clients.

    It is important to understand that child custody liars don’t just lie on the stand, they lie at every opportunity, such as in a UCCJEA judicial teleconference when the are trying to effectuate what amounts to a kidnapping; see my article titled “Interestate child custody jurisdiction: UCCJEA ‘judicial teleconference’ is critical” to find out more about that.

     

  • Parent violating a visitation order? Don’t stand for it!

    If the the other parent is violating a visitation order, you can take action to protect your rights to see your child. If you are having a problem with visitation interference, contact me, Chicago, Evanston and Schaumburg child custody lawyer David Wolkowitz. I may be able to help. Further, you might want to see my previous posts entitled “Court orders: Get them enforced!” and “The crime of visitation interference in Illinois.”

    There are several things you should know about the violation of a visitation order:

    Future violations:

    If you have reason to believe the other parent is going to violate an order in the future, you can have your lawyer file a “motion to compel.” A motion to compel is essentially an order in which the court restates that the other parent should follow a previous court order. For instance, you have visitation with your child next weekend, and the other parent emails you “I’m going to take our child out of town next weekend and there is nothing you can do about it,” that would be sufficient justification for filing a motion to compel. In order words, since the other parent threatened not to follow an order, you may be able to get a court order which essentially repeats the a previous order must be followed. Why the redundancy? If the other parent violates the order even after a motion to compel, then court will probably take an extra-harsh view of the violation.

    Contempt of court for violating a court order:

    When judges issue court orders, they expect them to be followed. When parties don’t follow court orders, the judges get mad. And when judges get mad, the parent that has violated the order can be punished.

    If any court order is violated, including a visitation order, a lawyer can attempt to have the violating party held in contempt of court. For instance, if a court order designates that on a certain holiday the child is to be with Mom, but Dad refuses to turn over the child, then the court could hold Dad in contempt.

    The good news is that if someone is held in contempt of court, the court can require that person to pay the attorney’s fees the innocent parent incurred in trying to enforce the court order. In other words, the person who violated the court order can be made to pay the bill of the parent trying to enforce the order.

    For a more detailed explanation of contempt of court, you may wish to read my post “Court orders: Get them enforced!.”

    Visitation interference in Illinois:

    Previously, I wrote a post titled “The crime of visitation interference in Illinois.” Some lawyers like to publicize the fact that interfering with visitation can be a crime in Illinois. But as I noted in my post, it is difficult to have a parent prosecuted for that crime.

    Instead, a parent who has had his or her visitation interfered with can file a petition for a finding of unlawful visitation interference. At it’s most basic, visitation interference where one parent consistently and habitually deprives or obstructs the other parent’s parenting time.

    What to do if an Illinois child visitation order is being violated:

    The best thing to do if you are having problems with your visitation is to contact me, Illinois child visitation lawyer David Wolkowitz. I will take a look at the facts of your case, and advise you regarding my preception of the strength of your case and the likely outcome.

    Since I understand that it can be difficult to schedule time with a lawyer, it is possible for us to meet near your location, and I offer evening and weekend consultations. To find out more about how I meet with clients, you might view my posts titled “Yes, I’m a Schaumburg Divorce Attorney” or “Yes, I’m an Evanston Divorce Attorney!”

    The violation of visitation orders and interference with visitation is serious. If either one is happening to you, it benefits you to act quickly. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get the results you want.

  • Court orders: Get them enforced!

    A party to a legal proceeding, including an Illinois family law dispute, can be found to be in contempt of court when he or she disobeys a court order.Illinois family law judge, Chicago divorce court judge

    If you are involved in an Illinois family law case and the other party is not obeying a court order, then you should take action to see that the court order is enforced. For instance, the other party may refuse to follow an order from visitation, may not be paying child support according to a court order, or may otherwise be in violation of an Illinois family law court order.

    The good news about seeking to have another party held in contempt of court is that, if the court finds the other party to be in contempt of court, the other party often has to pay your attorney fees. In other words, you can hire an attorney to get your court order enforced, and often the other person has to pay for it!

    If you are having problems getting the other parent to follow court orders, contact me – Chicago divorce lawyer David Wolkowitz. I may be able to help. Also, check out my post titled “The Crime of Visitation Interference in Illinois.”