If a parent fails to make child support payments, the other parent 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 child support order. Ignoring the court’s order will have serious potential consequences, including loss of custody or visitation rights, 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 child support order, the court may punish the uncooperative parent with jail time (criminal contempt).

In Maine, if a parent fails to make court-ordered child support payments, the other parent has the right to file a motion for contempt to address the noncompliance with the court. This motion is a formal request to the court to enforce the child support order and to potentially impose penalties on the non-paying parent for disregarding the court's authority. The consequences of being found in contempt can be significant. They may include the loss of custody or visitation rights, the requirement to pay the other parent's attorney fees and costs associated with filing the motion, and other financial penalties. In cases of repeated failure to comply with the child support order, the court may impose even harsher penalties, such as jail time, which is considered criminal contempt. The court's primary aim with these actions is to compel compliance with the child support order and ensure that the financial needs of the child are met.