A judgment or order made or entered pursuant to this code may be enforced by the court by execution, the appointment of a receiver, or contempt, or by any other order as the court in its discretion determines from time to time to be necessary.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 86, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007.)
(a) A money judgment or judgment for possession or sale of property that is made or entered under this code, including a judgment for child, family, or spousal support, is enforceable until paid in full or otherwise satisfied.
(b) A judgment described in this section is exempt from any requirement that a judgment be renewed. Failure to renew a judgment described in this section has no effect on the enforceability of the judgment.
(c) A judgment described in this section may be renewed pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 683.110) of Chapter 3 of Division 1 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. An application for renewal of a judgment described in this section, whether or not payable in installments, may be filed:
(1) If the judgment has not previously been renewed as to past due amounts, at any time.
(2) If the judgment has previously been renewed, the amount of the judgment as previously renewed and any past due amount that became due and payable after the previous renewal may be renewed at any time after a period of at least five years has elapsed from the time the judgment was previously renewed.
(d) In an action to enforce a judgment for child, family, or spousal support, the defendant may raise, and the court may consider, the defense of laches only with respect to any portion of the judgment that is owed to the state.
(e) Nothing in this section supersedes the law governing enforcement of a judgment after the death of the judgment creditor or judgment debtor.
(f) On or before January 1, 2008, the Judicial Council shall develop self-help materials that include: (1) a description of the remedies available for enforcement of a judgment under this code, and (2) practical advice on how to avoid disputes relating to the enforcement of a support obligation. The self-help materials shall be made available to the public through the Judicial Council self-help Internet Web site.
(g) As used in this section, “judgment” includes an order.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 130, Sec. 87. Effective January 1, 2008.)
(a) The Judicial Council shall modify the title of its existing form, “Order to Show Cause and Declaration for Contempt (Family Law),” to “Order to Show Cause and Affidavit for Contempt (Family Law).”
(b) The Judicial Council shall prescribe a form entitled “Affidavit of Facts Constituting Contempt” that a party seeking to enforce a judgment or order made or entered pursuant to this code by contempt may use as an attachment to the Judicial Council form entitled “Order to Show Cause and Affidavit for Contempt (Family Law).” The form shall provide in the simplest language possible:
(1) The basic information needed to sustain a cause of action for contempt, including, but not limited to, the elements of a cause of action for contempt.
(2) Instructions on how to prepare and submit the Order to Show Cause and Affidavit for Contempt (Family Law) and the Affidavit of Facts Constituting
Contempt.
(3) Lines for the date and a signature made under penalty of perjury.
(c) Section 1211.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply to the Order to Show Cause and Affidavit for Contempt (Family Law) and the Affidavit of Facts Constituting Contempt.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 904, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1996.)