Do you have a divorce case, a paternity case, or a supplemental petition for modification of alimony or child support pending before the court? If you have answered yes to this question, you need to be sure that you have “clean hands” when you proceed to court with your case.
What in the world does this mean “clean hands”? “Clean hands” simply means that you must act in good faith when you appear in court. You cannot expect to be rewarded for bad behavior when you appear in court. You must act in good faith, “have your house in order”, and be candid and honest with the Court. This is what “clean hands” means.
The clean hands doctrine frequently arises in supplemental petitions for modification of alimony or child support. A party may be seeking to reduce the previously ordered obligation for support, based upon a change in their financial circumstances. Often times these individuals will have a large, accrued balance, of either child support or alimony arrears. If you fall into this category and proceed to court seeking relief, you better have a good explanation as to why you have not been paying the previously ordered amounts for either alimony or child support.