Civil contempt is remedial contempt, its purpose is to compel compliance with a court order or to compensate the party harmed by the violation. It is the most common form of contempt in Arizona family law enforcement proceedings.

Civil contempt requires proving that the contemner had knowledge of a lawful court order, had the ability to comply, and failed to do so. The sanction is coercive and it continues until the contemner complies. A purge condition gives the contemner a path to ending the sanction.