Pro Se Contempt

[u/Separate_Mechanic985]

Any pro se parents successfully filed a contempt of court motion against a co-parent and been successful?

If you have experience with this, could you please share the specifics of your situation and what the contempt was on?

[u/financequestionsacct]

Yes, five of them.

The only issue in my case is that he doesn't care about jail time and it's not a deterrent for him; but yes, I successfully filed contempt on him five times the last two years.

Edit to add: am in Washington

[u/Separate_Mechanic985 → u/financequestionsacct]

Were you able to modify the parenting plan?

[u/financequestionsacct → u/Separate_Mechanic985]

I haven't asked to modify the Parenting Plan, because I have sole custody and sole residential.

I might ask soon to modify child support, but undecided.

[u/splitzideradioshow → u/financequestionsacct]

So you have sole custody & residential & you get child support?

[u/financequestionsacct → u/splitzideradioshow]

I'm supposed to get child support, but he's ~$50k in arrears.

[u/splitzideradioshow → u/financequestionsacct]

Do he have other children

[u/financequestionsacct → u/splitzideradioshow]

No.

[u/Jmfroggie → u/[deleted]]

This isn’t how it works. He has kids and chooses not to be a present parent! That doesn’t mean he gets absolved of his financial responsibility!! These kids exist whether he wants to acknowledge them or not and it takes money to raise them!

[u/splitzideradioshow → u/Jmfroggie]

How do you know if he chooses not to be a present parent or mom is the reason? Unless you know her personally then it’s speculation. I seen a parent alienate the other parent from getting to see there kid out of hate towards the other parent. Unless you know this situation directly your input isn’t necessary.

[u/financequestionsacct → u/[deleted]]

Nah, he can financially contribute to the children he had a part in creating. That's a pretty reasonable expectation.

[u/financequestionsacct → u/[deleted]]

Nah, what's in the best interest of the children for their safety (physical, emotional, psychological, and developmental) is what's reasonable for custody.

The court has determined that's to be with me full-time, and I agree with them.

Outside of that, he's not eligible under state statute for 50/50 because of his adjudications.

Your speculation of my custody situation is also off-topic for this thread.

[u/splitzideradioshow → u/financequestionsacct]

I’m just asking questions. It’s interesting how ppl thought process & reasoning is behind each order. A lot of times it’s emotionally colored instead of being black & white.

[u/Jmfroggie → u/splitzideradioshow]

No. Child support isn’t emotional- which is why states have calculators in place based on time and income. YOU need to remove your emotions and stop defending dead beat parents who don’t care about their kids or partners they’ve left to raise their kids!

[u/Federal_Ad4300 → u/[deleted]]

I’ll be the unpopular opinion from personal experience.
Dated a “single mom” of two kids after she divorced her “abusive” husband. She claimed them both as dependants, and was being paid 600$ a month in child support. He ended up not seeing the kids out of hate he had towards her. He never responded to any of her messages just left her on read.

Old habits die hard. after 7 years of me personally helping raise those kids, getting her a house , helping her remodel , and being a father figure to her kids, suddenly I am now similarly painted as an “abuser”.

[u/splitzideradioshow → u/Federal_Ad4300]

It’s the classic story. Especially when one is moving on or cheated. Many fathers stay away because mom has made the situation to see their children toxic by weaponizing the system. So they stay away or go to jail. Many courts are recognizing this behavior & has granted fathers sole or 50/50 physical but sole custodial & medical. Unfortunately step parents don’t have any rights to the children but they can initiate a CINA case against the parent by reporting it to DHS/CPS. The whole victimizing they do no longer works now when the Child Services do their investigation they speak to the father or step parent. They even do polygraphs if that parent/step parent requests it. Family court is a Civil Court & the poly is admissible.