Legal Question in Family Law in Texas

Re: Child support contempt hearing

Although the judge might have announced his order from the bench, eventually the order must be reduced to writing and signed by the judge. This usually happens fairly quickly, but if neither party is pushing, it might take a while.

For an order to be enforceable by contempt, it must be VERY specific. It MUST state how, where, and when the support is to be paid. If it does not, then it is still enforceable, but you cannot be found in contempt of court for failure to pay. If an order is not specific enough, the judge will usually redo it in an enforceable manner so that it is subject to contempt the next time it is not paid.