If a parent fails to follow the court’s child custody order, the other party may file a motion for contempt to bring the issue before the court.

A motion for contempt—as the name implies—is based on the uncooperative party’s contempt for the judge/court’s order. Ignoring the court’s order will have serious potential consequences, including loss of custody and payment of the other parent’s attorney fees and costs in filing the motion for contempt (coercive civil contempt).

And in some cases of repeated failures to comply with the custody order, the court may punish the uncooperative parent with jail time (criminal contempt).

In Connecticut, if a parent does not adhere to a court-issued child custody order, the other parent has the right to file a motion for contempt to address the violation in court. This motion is predicated on the non-compliant parent's disregard for the court's authority and mandates. The consequences of such non-compliance can be severe, potentially including a change in custody arrangements, the imposition of the non-compliant parent's obligation to pay the other parent's attorney fees and costs associated with filing the motion (coercive civil contempt), and in extreme cases of persistent non-compliance, the court may impose jail time as a form of punishment (criminal contempt). The court's primary focus is the best interest of the child, and enforcement measures are designed to ensure compliance with custody arrangements that reflect that interest.