In many divorce cases that end up litigation, at least one of the spouses is not doing something they are supposed to do. A spouse who refuses to abide by court orders or the discovery rules can delay the process and drive up the costs for both parties. These situations often lead to the following exchange with clients, both during and after their divorce: Client: My ex is not making a payment that they agreed to make, and which was included in the court order. Attorney: Have you discussed it with them? Client: Yes, but they still refuse. Attorney: Okay, if you would like us to help with this issue, then we will start with a letter or phone call indicating that the payment should be made immediately. If they don't respond by the deadline then we can file a Complaint for Contempt. If there is an emergency then we can request a quick hearing, but that will require an extra court appearance. Otherwise we will have a court hearing in about one month. We will h...

President Obama recently issued a Memorandum to the heads of the executive departments and agencies regarding Domestic Violence in the workplace.   The memo  requires the Office of Personnel Management to establish policies to better assist victims of domestic violence who are federal employees.  According to the memo, the CDC estimates that $8 billion dollars in productivity and health care costs are lost every year due to domestic violence.  This is in addition, of course, to the personal and family losses that are also caused by domestic violence. We often forget that the President is not just a political, foreign and domestic leader, but that he is also the C.E.O. of the federal executive branch, which, including the armed forces, employs more than 4 million american citizens.  Therefore, the policies of the president's administration on issues such as domestic violence affect a large percentage of the american workforce. Specifically, the memo r...