Legal Question in Family Law in Virginia

Retroactive show cause

My son's grandmother has visitation with him once per month according to an order entered in September 2008. The grandmother refused to meet me half way for exchanges so no visit occured until March 2009 (when she agreed to meet me). A show-cause was filed in October 2008 against me for denying her visitation. April 2009 the judge found me guilty of the violation and threatened me with jail time if the order was violated again. Now the grandmother is demanding that she 'make up' the six missed visits or she will file a show cause for the other visits. Can the judge retroactively punish me in court for those visits (October thru February)? Or does the violation have to occur after the first show-cause was dispositioned?


Asked on 4/13/09, 9:10 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: Retroactive show cause

Unless the judge's most recent order required that these six missed visits be made up in the future, you would be under no obligation to do so nor could they be a basis for the grandmother's attempt to have further sanctions imposed upon you by the court.

Read more
Answered on 4/13/09, 11:00 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Family Law, Divorce, Child Custody and Adoption questions and answers in Virginia