common-law divorce payment
What can I do if someone does not pay as decided by court order?
<p>Following a custody battle, a court ordered that 100% of the cost of higher education for the children would be paid by the father. He (the father) instead chose to cosign student loans which he has no intention of paying.</p>

<p>My question is fairly straightforward: What are the options to pursue payment in this sort of scenario? </p>

<p>I'm not asking what the best option is, or for legal advice, but simply what are the <em>possible</em> options.</p>

<p>It seems crazy to me that we would have to go back to court to force him to uphold the court order that was already ordered, but I really have no idea if that is the only choice or not.  </p>

<p>I do plan to contact a lawyer, but thought I'd ask here first to gain a little more knowledge.</p>

<p>A few options:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Contempt of court proceedings to force him to comply with the order on pain of fines and incarceration.</p></li>
<li><p>Failure to sign documents can sometimes be remedied by getting an order to have the clerk of the court sign the documents as his court appointed agent.</p></li>
<li><p>If there is economic harm as a result, seeking an order for a monetary sanction in divorce court and enforcing it has a judgment once entered (e.g. garnishment of wages and bank accounts, seizures of property).</p></li>
</ol>

<p>These are listed roughly in the order in which they are likely to be utilized.</p>
