Virginia Family Law: What is a Show Cause?

Sometimes people do not follow court orders. Maybe the other parent is refusing to pay child support or is attempting to contact the children at odd hours. The Court has the ability to stop these behaviors and enforce its orders. It is important to understand how the Court does that and what you have to do to enforce your orders.

So what is a show cause and how do you file one?

Virginia Family Law: What is a Show Cause?

A show cause is a document that you file with the Court asking the Court to enforce an order. The show cause identifies a few things:

1) The specific order that is being violated;

2) What provisions of the order are being violated;

3) How those provisions were violated;

4) When those provisions were violated;

5) What you want the Court to do about it.

How to File a Show Cause in Virginia.

A show cause can be filed either by hiring a lawyer to draft it or, if it is a juvenile order being violated, contacting your local juvenile intake. They can potentially help you fill out the show cause.

What Powers Does the Court Have in a Show Cause?

The Court has a few powers when you file a show cause. The ultimate goal is to force compliance. In order to force compliance th Court can;

1) Order a fine;

2) Impose additional restrictions on custody or visitation;

3) Impose jail time;

4) Order them to fully comply or face additional sanctions.

The specific power the Court uses depends on the facts of the case and how severe the violation is.

Why You Need a Family Lawyer

Make sure you talk to a family lawyer if you are considering a show cause. They can help you put as much detail in the document as is necessary and ask for the right kinds of sanctions.