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 Virginia, 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. This legal action is taken to highlight the non-paying parent's disregard for the court's order. The consequences of being found in contempt of court can be severe. The court may enforce various penalties, including the potential loss of custody or visitation rights, and the non-compliant parent might be ordered to pay the legal fees and costs incurred by the other parent in bringing the motion for contempt. This is known as coercive civil contempt, aimed at compelling compliance with the court's order. In cases where there is repeated failure to comply with the child support order, the court may escalate the matter to criminal contempt, which can result in jail time for the non-paying parent. The intent behind these measures is to ensure that child support obligations are taken seriously and to provide a mechanism for enforcement to protect the financial interests of the child.