55th Circuit Court Friend of the Court

The Circuit Court Family Division decides divorce, paternity, custody, and support matters. The Friend of the Court helps the Circuit Court administer and enforce cases involving these issues. The FOC is part of the Circuit Court and is supervised by the Chief Judge. FOC employees are court employees.

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Starting a Case
55th Circuit Court
Friend of the Court Duties
The Friend of the Court (FOC), established in 1919, was created to assist families and ensure compliance with court orders, particularly when a parent failed to follow them. While its mission remains consistent, it has evolved to meet modern needs. Today, the FOC offers a range of services including tracking child support payments, coordinating wage withholding with employers, facilitating direct deposits, reviewing support orders based on income changes, and calculating support using the Michigan Child Support Formula. It also provides mediation and alternative dispute resolution to help resolve custody and support issues outside of court, investigates and makes recommendations to the court, assists in enforcing court orders, and supplies forms for filing motions related to custody, parenting time, and support matters.

Custody

Custody includes legal (decision-making) and physical (where the child lives) rights.

Legal Residence & Domicile

Legal residence is where someone lives, while domicile is their permanent legal home.

Changing Custody

Changing custody requires a court order and usually depends on a significant change in circumstances and the child’s best interests.

Changing Parenting Time

Changing parenting time requires a court order and must serve the child’s best interests, often due to a change in circumstances.

Parenting Time Enforcement

Parenting time enforcement ensures court-ordered schedules are followed. If one parent denies access, the other can seek help from the court.

Child Support FAQs

Find answers to common questions about payments, enforcement, modifications, and eligibility.

Starting a Case

If you or your children currently receive public assistance or have received assistance in the past, you should already have a child support case. If you have not received a letter from the Office of Child Support within three months of your public assistance case opening, call 1.866.540.0008.

If you or your children have never received public assistance, have received public assistance in the past and a child support case was not opened, or is closed, you can apply for child support services. You may apply online with MiChildSupport, or you may print, complete, and mail the Application for IV-D Child Support Services -DHS-1201D.

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Types of Support

A child support order is a court order directing a parent to pay a specific amount of money for the support of minor children not living with them. Child support orders may be issued as part of a divorce settlement, family support case, paternity action, and interstate case.

In Michigan Child Support Enforcement System (MICSES), child support charges on the first (1st) day of the month for the whole month.

Child support generally stops when a child reaches the age of eighteen or graduates from high school, whichever occurs last, but under certain conditions may be ordered to continue until the child reaches age nineteen and one half.

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