Opinion ID: 2035565
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Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Contempt as an Enforcement Tool

Text: Child support obligations have long been enforceable by contempt in Indiana. In 1865, this Court observed that the obligation of a parent to provide support for a child is founded in nature, not in contract. Lower v. Wallick (1865), 25 Ind. 68, 73, citing 1 William Blackstone, Commentaries []447 (emphasis in original). Lower was the first of a long series of cases decided by this state's appellate courts establishing that child support obligations arise out of a natural duty of the parent and not from a debt of the obligor. As a result, the proscription against imprisonment for debt in Article I, § 22, of our constitution [1] does not prevent the use of contempt to enforce child support obligations. [2] Corbridge v. Corbridge (1952), 230 Ind. 201, 207, 102 N.E.2d 764, 767; Stonehill v. Stonehill (1896), 146 Ind. 445, 447, 45 N.E. 600, 601; Esteb v. Enright (1990), Ind. App., 563 N.E.2d 139, 141; Thompson v. Thompson (1984), Ind. App., 458 N.E.2d 298, 300. In addition, the legislature has specifically recognized that contempt is available as one tool to enforce child support payments. Ind. Code Ann. § 31-1-11.5-17(c) (West Supp. 1993). This Court has also recognized the inherent powers of a trial court to use contempt as a remedy in the context of child support. Corbridge, 230 Ind. at 207, 102 N.E.2d at 767; Stonehill, 146 Ind. at 447, 45 N.E. at 601. Nor do procedural steps taken by a court to assist in the collection of child support payments affect the availability of contempt. Upon the request of the parent to whom child support is owed and the entry of the requisite findings, trial courts may, as in the instant case, compute the amount and order the payment of accrued arrearages or, as in other cases, enter a money judgment against the delinquent parent for past due amounts. We view such orders and judgments, at least as they relate to child support payments in respect of unemancipated children, [3] as natural extensions of the court's efforts to assure that parents live up to their duties to their children. As such, the nature of a parent's underlying obligations remain unchanged and it is unduly formalistic and contrary to sound public policy to consider the entry of such an order or judgment as somehow changing the obligation in such a way as to make contempt unavailable to assist in its enforcement. The Supreme Court of Florida has provided a particularly helpful discussion as to why child support obligations should be enforceable by contempt, even if reduced to a money judgment: Establishing a support decree as a money judgment does not destroy the decree as an order to pay support nor is the obligation reduced to an ordinary judgment debt enforceable only at law... . The purpose of the award remains the payment of support to the former spouse or the children regardless of its form... . Ostrander v. Ostrander, 190 Minn. 547, 252 N.W. 449, 450 (1934). A decree for support is different than a judgment for money or property: It is a continuing obligation based on the moral as well as legal duty of a parent to support his or her children. Sackler [ v. Sackler ], 47 So.2d 292, at 294 [(Fla. 1950)] (quoting Rule v. Rule, 313 Ill. App. 108, 39 N.E.2d 379 (1942)). Because of this difference, a judgment for support should be enforced by more efficient means than ordinary execution at law. To hold that such a judgment can be enforced only by execution at law would amount to depriving a support award of its inherent power of enforcement by contempt. McDuffie [ v. McDuffie, 155 Fla. 63], 19 So.2d 511 at 513 [(1944)]. The courts have a duty to provide an effective, realistic means for enforcing a support order, or the parent or former spouse for all practical purposes becomes immune from an order for support. In our view, this duty includes enforcement of a judgment of support by equitable processes of the court because a remedy at law that is ineffective in practice is not an adequate remedy. Gibson v. Bennett, 561 So.2d 565, 569 (Fla. 1990). See also Middleton v. Middleton, 329 Md. 627, 620 A.2d 1363, 1368-9 (1993); Ex parte Wilbanks, 722 S.W.2d 221, 224 (Tex. Ct. App. 1986). For the same policy reasons, child support obligations are not dischargeable under the Bankruptcy Code. 11 U.S.C.A. § 523(a)(5) (West 1993). The bankruptcy cases make clear that even child support obligations that have been reduced to a money judgment are nondischargeable. See, e.g., Hylek v. Hylek, 148 F.2d 300, 302-3 (7th Cir.1945); In re Cope, 35 B.R. 287, 288-9 (Bankr.W.D.Mich. 1983). See also In re Coleman, 56 B.R. 179, 180 (Bankr.N.D.Ind., 1986) (statutory interest on child support judgment nondischargeable). Therefore, we hold that contempt is always available to assist in the enforcement of child support, at least in respect of unemancipated children, including orders to pay accrued arrearages and money judgments against delinquent parents for past due amounts. In so doing, we disapprove previous decisions which held that once a child support obligation was transformed into a money judgment, contempt was unavailable as a remedy. See, e.g., DeMichieli v. DeMichieli (1992), Ind. App., 585 N.E.2d 297, 301; Chapman v. Chapman (1987), Ind. App., 512 N.E.2d 414, 418. Our holding is limited to the use of contempt to assist in the enforcement of money judgments for child support. Except for this limited situation, grounded in the unique natural relationship of parent and child, the general rule that money judgments are not enforceable by contempt remains unaffected by our decision today. See, e.g., State ex rel. Shaunki v. Endsley (1977), 266 Ind. 267, 268, 362 N.E.2d 153, 154 (alimony judgment); Bahre v. Bahre (1967), 248 Ind. 656, 661-2, 230 N.E.2d 411, 415 (attorney fees); Marsh v. Marsh (1904), 162 Ind. 210, 212, 70 N.E. 154, 155 (alimony judgment). Nor is contempt available in every case where a child support delinquency arises. Only upon a finding by the court that the delinquency was the result of a willful failure by the parent to comply with the support order and that the delinquent parent has the financial ability to comply is contempt available. Brown v. Brown (1933), 205 Ind. 664, 668, 187 N.E. 836, 838; Whitman v. Whitman (1980), Ind. App., 405 N.E.2d 608, 614.