Patricia Gay Patterson Lattimore v. James S. Lattimore, Jr.

**What Happened:** Patricia Lattimore and her ex-husband James had a divorce agreement that required him to pay alimony (spousal support). When James stopped making these court-ordered payments, Patricia went back to court asking a judge to hold him in contempt and order him to pay the money he owed, plus interest. **What the Court Decided:** The trial court initially dismissed Patricia's request without ordering James to pay anything. However, Patricia appealed this decision to a higher court. The appeals court reversed the trial court's ruling, finding that James had willfully failed to make his required alimony payments. The appeals court sent the case back to the lower court with instructions to enter a monetary judgment against James for all the unpaid alimony plus statutory interest. **Why This Matters for Workers:** While this case involves divorce and alimony rather than employment, it demonstrates an important principle for all workers: when someone owes you money under a legal agreement or court order, you have the right to pursue enforcement through the courts. Whether it's unpaid wages, benefits, or other compensation, this ruling shows that higher courts will overturn decisions that fail to hold people accountable for their legal payment obligations.