Friend of the Court Grievance Process
Friend of the Court Grievance Process allows parties to file a complaint if they believe the Friend of the Court (FOC) staff acted improperly or failed to perform their duties. This process is not for appealing court decisions but for addressing concerns about FOC conduct or service.
If you have a question or concerns about your FOC case that you would like answered but do not want to file a formal grievance, please put your concern in writing and mail it to the Friend of the Court office.
The Friend of the Court (FOC) grievance procedure is a formal process, governed by statute, that allows you to file a formal complaint (grievance) against (1) employees or (2) office operations. Note: this grievance procedure is not used to contest or appeal a court decision. It is also not used to obtain legal advice or ask questions about your FOC case.
A grievance must first be filed in writing with the Friend of the Court office, using the attached form. The Friend of the Court will investigate and respond to your grievance in a reasonable period of time. If the response cannot be given within 30 days, you will be given a reason why the response is not possible within that time. MCL 552.526(1)(a).
If you are not satisfied with the decision of the FOC, you may file a further grievance, in writing, with the Chief Judge:
Clare County Courthouse
Honorable Joshua M. Farrell, Chief Judge
80th District Court
225 West Main Street,
P.O. Box 988
Harrison, Michigan 48625.
Gladwin County Courthouse
Honorable Joshua M. Farrell, Chief Judge
80th District Court
401 West Cedar Avenue,
Gladwin, Michigan 48624
The court must respond to the grievance within 30 days, or issue a statement indicating the reason a response is not possible within that time.