Vincent v. Rickman (Mississippi 2017)

If a parent willfully fails to follow the terms of a child support order, the court can find the parent in contempt. Contempt is appropriate if the order is final and the terms are clear. The appellate court upheld the contempt ruling against the father, finding that he failed to comply with the unambiguous terms of his child support order. He was ordered to implement income withholding, which he deliberately did not do. In addition, the court found him in contempt for failure to pay. The Father argued that his support was current by the time the contempt petition was filed. However, the court found that he had not paid support as directed in the order and had he complied with the income withholding provision, the arrearage would not have occurred.