Child Support FAQs
What is the “due date” of my child support payment?
Your monthly support is added to your account on the first of every month. The full monthly amount must be paid before the last day of the month, unless your order states differently.
I am not eligible for a support review through Friend of the Court, but my circumstances have changed. I believe child support should be modified. What can I do?
- Request a review. Pursuant to statute, every three years either party may request a review of child support. However, regardless of which parent requests the review, the case is eligible only once every three years.
- File a Support Motion. If your case is not eligible for the 3 year review, you may file a support motion. The Friend of the Court can provide the necessary forms, which you must then complete and file with the County Clerk. The fee for a Support Motion is $60, payable to Shiawassee County Clerk.
I pay child support and I voluntarily reduced my income. Will my support be reduced?
No. The law states that child support will not be reduced based on a voluntary income reduction.
When making a recommendation for child support, does the Friend of the Court take into account my bills such as car payment, rent, utilities, or credit card debt?
The Michigan Child Support Formula already assumes all persons have certain living expenses. The Friend of the Court cannot deduct additional bills (above and beyond regular living expenses) before calculating support and making a recommendation. For more information about how support is calculated you can view the Child Support Formula Manual or the free online MiChild Support Calculator.
Is the Friend of the Court responsible for making sure that child support money is being spent on the children?
The law does not give the Friend of the Court the authority to dictate how child support payments are to be spent
I have been paying child support, and the custodial parent is not letting me see my child(ren). Do I have to keep paying support?
Yes. Parenting time and child support matters are two separate parts of a court order, and each area must be handled independently of the other. If your parenting time order has been violated, you may file a parenting time complaint with the Friend of Court.
The other parent is not paying child support as ordered. What can I do?
Once a payer of support has fallen more than 4 weeks (30 days) behind in support payments, a complaint for enforcement of child support may be requested in writing.
Will I receive the payer’s tax refund?
FOC automatically submits a request for tax refund offset when a payer’s arrears qualify ($150 for the State of Michigan, $500 for federal taxes). Because of IRS regulations, we can only give tax payment information to the person whose taxes were taken. We can only provide limited information regarding tax payments received to the payee.
What happens if my support check was issued (mailed) but I never received it?
You must contact the MiSDU and they will investigate the matter. https://www.misdu.com/secure/default.aspx
For further information regarding child support, see Understanding Child Support, a Guide for Parents.