Friend of the Court Services

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Friend of the Court Services

The Friend of the Court must provide the following services for all cases involving minor children in a domestic relation:

Accounting Services — the Friend of the Court will enforce child support payments and monitor those payments through the Michigan Child Support Enforcement System (MiCSES). Friend of the Court will make the necessary adjustments to support for parenting time or other credits. Provide the parties will annual statement of accounts, if requested.

Support Enforcement Services — the Friend of the Court will begin to enforce support when one month of support is overdue. These enforcement services include:

• Paying support out of tax refunds

• Issuing an Order to Show Cause for Contempt for failure to comply with the court order to pay support.

• Placing a lien on property that the payer owns

• Reporting support arrearages to a consumer reporting agency

• Request the payer’s licenses to be suspended

• Collecting support by an income withholding order

Medical Support Enforcement Services — the Friend of the Court through its recommended child support guideline indicates how the parties health care expenses will be divided and take action if a parent fails or refuses to pay. When a parties are required to cover the children under an insurance plan, the Friend of the Court will instruct the employer to enroll the children in if the parent fails or refuses to do so.

Support Review and Modification Services — Once every three years a party with a friend of the court case may request a child support review. Friend of the Court may review support at any time when change in circumstance leads to believe that support should be modified.

Custody and Parenting Time Enforcement Services — the Friend of the Court must enforce custody and parenting time when a party makes a complaint that it has been violated. Child custody and parenting time enforcement services include:

• Issuing a show cause notice for contempt for not complying with the parenting time order.

• Suspending the licenses of individuals who deny parenting time.

• Awarding makeup parenting time.

• Schedule a parenting conference with the parties to resolve complaints.

Custody and Parenting Time Investigation Services — for disputes about custody and/or parenting time the Friend of the Court sometimes may investigate and provide reports to the parties and the court.

Mediation Services — Friend of the Court must provide mediation services to help parties settle custody and parenting time disputes.

Michigan law requires the Friend of the Court to open and maintain a case for each domestic relation’s matter, unless the parties “opt out” of the Friend of the Court system. When parties “opt out”, they assume fill responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the court’s orders, and the Friend of the Court will no longer engage in those activities. MCL 552.505a. (please see the “opt out” section) Opt out of FOC Services

Forms:

IVD Application

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