Q: Ex violating divorce decree by withholding bonus payment.
My daughter's ex in Ohio, Jefferson County, is violating the terms of their divorce decree by not paying her $3,000 from his work bonus, which he received on March 31, 2025, as stipulated in the decree. He claims there is no specific time frame for payment and promised to pay by the end of April. She attempted to contact the attorney who handled the divorce by phone and email, but she received no response. Who should she contact to resolve this issue, especially since this is not the first time there has been non-compliance with the terms?
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A: Thirty days from receipt of payment is pretty standard. Is he in violation of the decree? Probably. Should you take legal action until after April? Probably not. Once that timeline has passed if he still hasn't paid then your daughter should consider filing a motion to show cause.
Todd B. Kotler agrees with this answer
A: I agree with my colleague. My guess is that her trial counsel considers this a post decree matter and will be in touch when this matter becomes more urgent. Again, unless the decree specifies when the funds are to be paid, she and her ex could be arguing over what is "reasonable".
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A:
If your daughter’s ex is violating the divorce decree by withholding the $3,000, she should first reach out to an attorney who can assist with enforcing the terms of the decree. Since she hasn’t received a response from the attorney who originally handled the divorce, she may want to consider contacting a different family law attorney to discuss her options.
In Ohio, non-compliance with a divorce decree can be addressed through a motion for contempt, which asks the court to enforce the terms of the decree. The attorney can help file this motion and potentially request the court to take action against the ex for not following through with the payment, especially if this isn’t the first violation.
Your daughter should also consider contacting the court directly or the county’s domestic relations office to inquire about the next steps in enforcing the decree. This will help ensure that the issue is addressed promptly and that her ex is held accountable for his actions.
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