Legal Question in Family Law in Massachusetts

If a noncustodial parent is obligated to pay child support (pursuant to G.L. c. 209, G.L. c 209C, or G.L. c 208), and he or she fails to pay the child support as ordered, the judge can find the parent to be in civil contempt of court. If the judge finds the noncustodial parent to be in contempt of court for failure to pay child support, the judge may order the parent to participate in a seek work program to get a job or even order the noncustodial parent incarcerated until the child support debt is paid.

Even if the foregoing is not the basis, the court can still order, in an active case, that a parent seek work, and report the result of this effort to the Probation Department.

it is not full-proof, but it is something.