what happens if a judge orders you to have a lawyer and you dont

When you go to your regular, criminal court, you will be asked about your attorney. If you believe that you qualify for an appointed attorney, they will let you apply then. If you don't, or want to hire your own attorney, the judge will give you a short amount of time to hire one.

Full Answer

Do you have to do anything the judge orders you to?

If you’re in court and the judge commands you to do something, you MUST do it. The only exception is if doing whatever the judge ordered is absolutely impossible.

What happens if I don't comply with a court order?

You may also have to pay her attorney fees if she has to go to Court to enforce the original Order. * This will flag comments for moderators to take action. Failure to comply with ANY court order can have serious consequences, which may ultimately include incarceration, even if the order was for payment of attorney's fees.

What happens if you appear before a judge without a lawyer?

If you appear before a judge without a lawyer, and you were already advised to your right to counsel, a Judge could determine that you waived your right to an attorney and try you without counsel. On the other hand, a judge could give you a postponement to get an attorney.

Do you have to follow a signed court order?

If the judge said it in court then you should follow the order because he verbally ordered it. It is also possible that your copy of the order isn't signed but the original order (in the court file) is signed. Often the judge will provide copies of orders to parties but only sign...

What happens if you ignore a lawsuit?

If you ignore the lawsuit, the court will enter an automatic judgment against you, known as a default judgment. 1 Of course, even if you file an answer to the lawsuit, you can still lose the case.

How can a creditor use a judgment?

1 . If your state allows it, the judgment can file a levy with the court and your employer, instructing the employer to garnish a portion of your wages, to pay the creditor.

How long is a judgment valid?

Depending on your state, a judgment remains valid from 5 to 20 years or more. 5  6  That's a long time for a debt to follow you around. Furthermore, judgments show up on credit reports for up to seven years and may appear on background checks until the judgments expire, whichever is longer. 7 .

What happens if you beat a case because the statute of limitations has expired?

If you beat a case because the statute of limitations has expired, failure to pay the debt will still affect your credit record. 4  Different types of debt have different time limits. These vary depending on if it's an oral agreement, written contract, promissory note, or open-ended account. A judgment typically consists ...

Can a judgment be garnished for child support?

They can be garnished for child support and alimony obligations, as well as student loans. 9. Your creditor can present the judgment against you to a sheriff, instructing them to seize and sell your property, to pay off judgments.

Can creditors force a sale of a home?

In some states, creditors can force the sale of your home. At the very least, the judgment appears in your county's property records, so when you sell or refinance your property, the title insurer will require that the judgment be paid in full from the proceeds. 12.

Can a judgment affect your job?

Judgments can disrupt your finances and your job, and they can prevent you from obtaining insurance, renting an apartment, or gaining security clearances. Therefore it is well worth the effort it takes to attempt to negotiate a settlement before things get into court and to defend any lawsuit filed against you .

What happens if you don't obey a court order?

The consequences could be a fine, jail, fine and jail or just a reprimand with another Order to pay. If a reprimand with another Order, you might want to consider the consequences of not obeying the Courts Order for a second time. You may also have to pay her attorney fees if she has to go to Court to enforce the original Order.

What happens if you don't pay your ex's attorney?

Failure to comply with ANY court order can have serious consequences, which may ultimately include incarceration, even if the order was for payment of attorney's fees. If you cannot pay because you don't have the money, you may ask for a payment plan or other accommodation, or may be able to work out an arrangement directly with your ex's attorney. However, failure to pay because you don't feel like it will likely result in an enforcement action, which can result, if you continue to refuse to pay, in your being incarcerated for up to 5 months and 29 days.

How long can you be in jail for refusing to pay?

However, failure to pay because you don't feel like it will likely result in an enforcement action, which can result, if you continue to refuse to pay, in your being incarcerated for up to 5 months and 29 days.

How long can you be held in contempt of court?

Contempt means that you can be held in the custody of the sheriff for up to 6 months.

What is Contempt of Court?

If you’ve never been involved in a court case before (and, maybe even if you have!) you might not really know what being held “in contempt of court” means.

What Are the Penalties for Being in Contempt of Court?

The penalties for violating court orders can range from having the judge reprimand you in court, to putting you in jail. You may have to pay a fine. Or, you may have to give your spouse extra parenting time to make up for keeping your kids when you weren’t supposed to do so.

Why are judicial orders not enforced?

Judges have the power to enforce awards but are typically reluctant to force men to honor their support obligations to their families because, under the law, men who don’t’ comply would have to be jailed, and judges are often highly reluctant to jail a deadbeat dad.”

What to do if you have a court date scheduled?

If you have a court date scheduled and wish to go before a judge for a decision, stand your ground. There is no guarantee you will get a better settlement from the judge but, you will at least know you were in control of how your divorce played out. 3.

What are the rules of divorce?

Divorce is a civil action, and every state has rules of civil procedure. What you don’t hear about but, have probably fallen victim to, are the unwritten family court rules. These “unwritten rules,” are the rules that define how judges and lawyers conduct themselves with each other. These unwritten rules, the rules that define what goes on ...

What are the unwritten rules of family court?

3 Unwritten Family Court Rules: 1. Lawyers and judges cover for each other. Most judges and lawyers will not report each other for misconduct or violations of judicial ethics. Judges especially can get away with bad behavior because lawyers don’t want to get on a judge’s bad side. Lawyers know they will go before that judge again ...

What to do if you can't come to an agreement with your spouse?

If you find yourself unable to come to an agreement with your spouse and you do have to schedule a court date be wary of these hallway settlements. You hire a lawyer to protect your interests but you have to put pro-active energy into making sure those interests are truly protected. 3. Judges don’t enforce court orders.

Do judges enforce awards?

Judges have the power to enforce awards but are typically reluctant to force men to honor their support obligations to their families because, under the law, men who don’t’ comply would have to be jailed, and judges are often highly reluctant to jail a deadbeat dad.”.

Can a father go to jail for non payment of child support?

Regardless of what you hear about fathers going to jail for non-payment, that rarely happens. When it comes to enforcing that child support order don’t expect much help for your local Family Court Judge. 2. If you have a court date scheduled and wish to go before a judge for a decision, stand your ground.

What happens if a judge's ruling is the same?

If the court's ruling would have been the same even if it hadn't made the error, odds are you'll lose the motion for reconsideration. Normally, a judge's ruling is going to make someone unhappy because—as a general rule—very few people walk away from a divorce getting everything they asked for.

Why is a judge's decision going to make someone unhappy?

Normally, a judge's ruling is going to make someone unhappy because—as a general rule—very few people walk away from a divorce getting everything they asked for . Often both spouses ask for the same thing—sole custody, a car, a home, or a particular stock. Since judge's can't simply split these items in half, ...

How long does it take to appeal a divorce?

The time to file an appeal from a final judgment is ordinarily 45 days from the judgment date. However, these are very specialized areas of practice, so you shouldn't attempt to handle these procedures on your own. If you're considering appealing a divorce judgment, you should speak to a local divorce lawyer right away.

How long does it take to get a divorce reconsidered?

Depending on the laws in your state, you usually have to file a motion for reconsideration within 10 to 20 days from the date you receive a copy of the court order.

What is the most prominent decision a judge will make?

Of course, the most prominent decision a judge will make is the final ruling at the end of a trial.

What is a motion for reconsideration?

A Motion for Reconsideration. In a "motion for reconsideration," you're essentially asking the court to reverse its own ruling. Understand that this is not meant to be a reargument of the matter in the hope that somehow the court will change its mind. You have to be able to prove that the initial ruling was incorrect.

What is the final decision of a divorce?

This decision will be incorporated into a Final Divorce Judgment, which encompasses all the outstanding issues in the divorce.

What Happens After The Judgment Is entered?

A Judgment Can Be Good For 20 Years Or More

• Depending on your state, a judgment remains valid from five to 20 years or more.56 That's a long time for a debt to follow you around. Furthermore, judgments show up on credit reports for up to seven years and may appear on background checks until the judgments expire, whichever is longer.7

See more on thebalance.com

How A Creditor Can Use The Judgment

How Can You Avoid A Judgment?