A Nevada divorce decree is a court order with the full force of law — when an ex-spouse fails to comply with its terms by refusing to pay court-ordered child support or alimony, failing to transfer property as ordered, refusing to follow the parenting time schedule, or otherwise violating the decree, the other party has legal remedies to compel compliance. The primary enforcement mechanism in Nevada for family court order violations is a motion for contempt of court (Order to Show Cause), which asks the Clark County District Court to find the non-complying party in contempt, impose sanctions, and compel compliance with the original order. Hauser Family Law represents Las Vegas clients who need to enforce their divorce decrees and family court orders, as well as clients who face contempt proceedings and need to defend against allegations of non-compliance.
Nevada Family Court Contempt Standards NRS 22.030, Order to Show Cause Procedure, Civil vs. Criminal Contempt, Child Support Enforcement Tools (License Suspension, Wage Garnishment, Tax Intercept), Property Transfer Enforcement, Alimony Enforcement, and Parenting Time Violation Remedies
Nevada contempt of court in family law proceedings is governed by NRS Chapter 22, which authorizes Nevada courts to impose sanctions on parties who willfully disobey court orders. To succeed on a contempt motion in Clark County family court, the moving party must establish: (1) the existence of a valid court order; (2) the non-complying party’s knowledge of the order; and (3) the non-complying party’s willful violation of the order. The willfulness requirement is significant — a party who lacks the financial ability to pay a child support order cannot be held in contempt for non-payment if they genuinely cannot comply, though they must affirmatively demonstrate inability to pay rather than simply failing to appear. Child support enforcement in Nevada offers multiple tools beyond contempt: the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Child Support Enforcement Program administers wage garnishment orders (income withholding orders) that automatically deduct child support from the non-paying parent’s paycheck; Nevada may intercept the non-paying parent’s federal and state tax refunds; Nevada may report delinquent child support to credit bureaus; and Nevada law allows suspension of the non-paying parent’s driver’s license, professional licenses, and recreational licenses when child support is in arrears by specified threshold amounts (NRS 425.3855). Alimony enforcement: unlike child support (which has a robust administrative enforcement apparatus), alimony enforcement in Nevada is primarily a judicial function — the recipient spouse must file a motion for contempt in Clark County District Court and attend a hearing at which the court can order payment of arrearages, award attorney fees, and impose other sanctions to compel compliance. Property transfer enforcement: when a divorce decree orders the transfer of real property, business interests, or titled personal property and the obligated spouse refuses to transfer, the court may issue an order directing a third party (the county recorder, a title company) to effectuate the transfer, or may hold the non-complying party in contempt until transfer is completed. Parenting time violation remedies: when an ex-spouse persistently violates the custody and parenting time schedule in the divorce decree, the affected parent may petition the Clark County Family Court for makeup parenting time, civil sanctions against the violating parent, a modification of the parenting time schedule to reflect the pattern of violation, or, in cases of severe and chronic violation, a modification of primary custody as a last resort. Hauser Family Law files and defends contempt and enforcement actions in Clark County Family Court, pursuing the most efficient path to compliance with our clients’ existing orders.