Opinion ID: 2173610
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: contempt proceedings to enforce a divorce judgment

Text: Enforcement of divorce judgments by contempt proceedings is provided for in sec. 247.305, Stats. 1977. This statute became law as ch. 105, sec. 47 of the Laws of 1977. Sec. 62 of the same chapter provides: SECTION 62. Effective date. (1) This act applies to all actions affecting marriage, and to all actions for modification or enforcement of previously entered orders in actions affecting marriage, which are commenced on and after the effective date of this act. (2) This act shall take effect on the first day of the 4th month after its publication. The chapter was published on October 15, 1977. Sec. 247.305, Stats., became effective, therefore, on February 1, 1978. Even though the judgment of divorce in the present case was granted on November 22, 1974, the contempt proceedings which are the basis of this action were begun late in 1978 and led to a finding of contempt on May 8, 1979. The order for incarceration was based on this finding. Thus, the order at issue arises from an action for the enforcement of an order affecting marriage which was commenced after the effective date of sec. 247.305. Sec. 247.305, Stats. 1977, applies to this case. [2] Sec. 247.305, Stats. 1977, provided: 247.305 Enforcement; contempt proceedings. In all cases where a party has incurred a financial obligation under s. 247.25, 247.255, 247.26, 247.261 or 247.262 and has failed within a reasonable time or as ordered by the court to satisfy such obligation, and where the wage assignment proceeding under s. 247.265 is inapplicable, impractical or unfeasible, the court may on its own initiative, and shall on the application of the receiving party, issue an order requiring the payer to show cause at some reasonable time therein specified why he or she should not be punished for such misconduct as provided in s. 295.02. Contempt proceedings of ch. 295 are therefore appropriate for all failures to obey orders of the court as to: Sec. 247.25 Child support Sec. 247.255 Property division Sec. 247.26 Maintenance payments Sec. 247.261 Family support Sec. 247.262 Award of attorney's fees [3] There is a requirement in sec. 247.305, Stats. 1977, that the court consider in the contempt order to show cause whether the wage assignment proceeding under sec. 247.265 is inapplicable, impractical or unfeasible. There is no requirement in the statute that there be a separate wage assignment hearing under sec. 247.265 as a condition precedent to a contempt hearing under sec. 295.02. However, in signing the order to show cause for contempt, the judge should and must consider whether a separate and preliminary hearing pursuant to sec. 247.265 is applicable, practical or feasible and if the judge rules out the necessity to conduct that separate hearing, the order to show cause or resulting order should recite that determination. [4] To do otherwise would increase the number of appearances, the expenses to the litigants and unnecessary time of the courts. The legislature could not have meant there had to be a wage assignment hearing as to whether it should be exercised as a condition precedent to a contempt hearing since sec. 247.305, Stats. 1977, states that upon failure to satisfy an obligation as ordered by the court in a reasonable time and the wage assignment provisions of sec. 247.265 being inapplicable, impractical or unfeasible, then a hearing under sec. 295.02 may be ordered. However, the legislature has also defined statutorily that every court of record may find in contempt any person who disobeys any process or lawful order of the court . . . by which act the rights or remedies of a party in an action or proceeding pending or triable in such court or before the same county may be impaired, impeded, defeated or prejudiced. Sec. 295.01 defines the judges' authority to act in divorce proceedings in addition to sec. 247.305. Judges presiding in actions affecting marriage have no less power than judges presiding in other actions. It is clear that support payment, division of estate and maintenance orders issued by a court affect the rights and remedies of a party in an action and the judge is authorized and has the duty to assure those rights and remedies will not be impaired, impeded, defeated or prejudiced. The legislature in its wisdom has given another authority to the courts in addition to recognizing contempt powers by stating the additional method of wage assignment to assure the enforcement of court orders in actions affecting marriage. One of the arguments advanced by the defendant is that where a part of a divorce judgment is not paid, it may be reached by execution, and then contempt proceedings will not lie. That was the law of Zuehls v. Zuehls, 227 Wis. 473, 278 N.W. 880 (1938). [2] However, that decision was based on sec. 295.01(3), Stats. 1935. This section is no longer a part of the statute and Zuehls v. Zuehls therefore is no longer the law in this state.