Technicalities in Contempt Enforcement Orders Allow Obligated, Non-custodial Parents to Escape Child Support

Abstract

Explores the difficulties in enforcement of child support court orders and the subsequent actions of the Texas Legislature aimed at strengthening enforcement of court orders for child support. This comment purports not only to show how these changes have weakened child support enforcement efforts, but also presents a proposal to revise this family code section. Part I provides an explanation of the contempt process as it exists under the current state of the law. Part II details the frustration of Texas courts in dealing with enforcement orders. Finally, Part III proposes some amendments based on an analysis of past enforcement order provisions and pre-1985 case law.