Friend of the Court
Frequently Asked Questions
I cannot get through to the Friend of the Court (FOC) office by telephone. Why?
Answer: The office is required to use an interactive voice response system (IVR). The IVR is user
friendly and a caller may follow the prompts to be connected with the Michigan State Disbursement
Unit (MiSDU) for account information, to request forms or may choose to connect to the local
FOC to schedule an appointment with a caseworker. Please be advised that the office receives
a high volume of calls daily and you may need to wait to speak to a receptionist.
When do I contact MiSDU, and when do I contact the Friend of the Court?
Answer: The MiSDU deals with inquiries such as payment coupons, direct deposits, check
issuance, lost/stolen checks, unclaimed checks, IVR pin numbers, debit card disbursement questions and disbursement
details. In general, all other questions should be referred to your local FOC office.
MiSDU may be reached by calling the automated IVR (616-846-8210) and following the
prompts to connect to MiSDU. You may also follow the prompts to reach your local
FOC office.
Where can I send my payments?
You may send your payments to:
Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MiSDU)
P.O. Box 30351
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7851
www.misdu.com
Please ensure to include your social security number or case number and name on the payment.
How will I receive my child support?
Answer: Child support is required to be electronically
disbursed. This means that support payments will no longer be
sent to customers in the form of a check. Instead, customers must have support
deposited directly into a bank account or put onto a US Bank
ReliaCard Visa debit card. The customer may choose either
option. The MiSDU handles all inquiries regarding direct
deposit. US Bank (866-276-5114) handles all inquiries regarding
the ReliaCard.
How does a child support case get started?
Answer: If you are on public assistance, your Department of
Human Services (DHS) caseworker can assist you with establishing
paternity and/or starting a child support case. If you do not
have a DHS caseworker you may contact the Office of Child Support
at 1-866-540-0008 for additional information on starting a
child support case.
How do I get my support increased or decreased?
Answer: You may need to file a motion to modify support. Motion forms may be
requested through the automated IVR (616-846-8210) or forms are available at
the main Friend of the Court office located at 414 Washington Avenue – Room
225 in Grand Haven, Michigan. Forms are also available at the Holland office
located at 12185 James St. – suite 170 on Wednesdays only. Many forms, including
motion forms to modify support or parenting time, are available on this
web site.
If both parents agree to a support modification and are not receiving public
assistance, you may contact your caseworker in writing to request that a
stipulation and order be drafted reflecting the agreed upon amount.
My housing agency is requesting verification of how much child support I receive each month.
Where can the agency get that information?
The Friend of the Court office cannot provide information directly to the housing agency
because Michigan Court Rules state that case specific information may only be released to a
party or their attorney. However, this type of information is available on the MiCase
website. We invite you to sign up for MiCase at
www.michigan.gov/micase. Once you receive
your password, you will be able to access this and other information regarding your case on
a 24-hour basis and can provide it to the housing agency.
I'm not getting my parenting time, what can I do?
Answer: If parenting time is specified in your court order (for
example: “alternating weekends” or “Tuesdays from 4:00 p.m. until
8:00 p.m.”) and the provision in your court order is not being
followed, you may file a parenting time complaint. A complaint
form is available in our office, on our web site or may be requested
through the automated IVR. If your court order does not identify
specific parenting times and you wish to have the parenting time
provision of your order modified to include specific days/times/holidays,
you will need to file a motion to modify parenting time. This form
is also available in our office, on our web site or through the
automated IVR. For general parenting time provisions, please
refer to the Friend of the Court parenting time policy available
on this web site.
How do I change my employer/address?
Answer: Address and employer change forms are available in our
office, on our web site or through the automated IVR.
How can I get the other party scheduled for court?
Answer: If it has been over 45 days since your last child support payment and the balance
owed is over $500, you may request that your caseworker schedule a show cause hearing. You
may also check to see if a show cause hearing has already been scheduled through the automated IVR.
Why does my caseworker prefer that I put all my correspondence to the office "in writing"?
Answer: At the end of 2008 the Friend of the Court office had 10,631 open cases. By putting correspondence in
writing, this allows your investigator to fully investigate your inquiry and respond appropriately.
This has been found to be the most effective and efficient way to help the greatest number of
people. Written correspondence is also necessary for documentation purposes.
Where's my money? I haven't received a payment in a while.
Answer: The automated IVR or MiCase
website can provide you with the last payment and account balance
information.
I'd like to file for change of custody. Can you mail that paperwork to me?
Answer: Due to the in-depth nature of the custody assessment procedure, this
paperwork is not typically mailed out. You will need to schedule an appointment
with your caseworker to discuss the custody assessment process.
I want to have custody changed immediately due to emergency circumstances. Can the Friend of the Court help me?
Answer: No. If there are emergency circumstances (for example, you believe
the child is at immediate risk of harm while in the care of the other parent) you
need to contact your local law enforcement agency or Ottawa County Child
Protective Services at (616) 394-7200.
The other party in my case does not ever exercise parenting time with the kids or pay support. I want his/her rights terminated. How can I do that?
Answer: Under certain circumstances parental rights may be terminated through adoption
or abuse/neglect proceedings. You may contact the Ottawa County Probate Court for
additional information (616-786-4110). The Friend of the Court office does not
petition the court to terminate parental rights.
A civil bench warrant has been issued for my arrest due to non-payment of support, what do I do now?
Answer: Please come into the Friend of the Court office immediately to resolve
the bench warrant and avoid further enforcement action. Expect to make some kind
of cash payment on the outstanding support arrearage and to provide employment
and address information.
A felony warrant has been issued for my arrest due to non-payment of support, what do I do now?
Answer: A felony warrant results from a criminal case that has been issued by the
Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office or Michigan Attorney General's Office. If this has happened then the Friend of the
Court office cannot resolve the warrant and you must contact the
Prosecutor's office at (616) 846-8215 or Michigan Attorney General's Child Support
Division at (517)373-1111. You will need to know which agency issued the warrant
in order to know who to contact.
Why am I being charge a new fee of $25 each fiscal year?
Answer: Federal law requires that certain child support cases pay a $25 annual
fee. Beginning in September 2008, Michigan law requires that this fee be withheld
from payments made to the custodial party after he or she has received at least
$500 in child support on a case between October 1 and September 30 (the federal
fiscal year).
Custodial parties who currently receive or have received cash assistance (Family
Independence Program, FIP) in Michigan or another state for the child(ren) in
the support order do not have to pay the fee. Custodial parties who currently
receive food assistance program (FAP) benefits for a child in the support order
are also exempt from paying the fee.
If you would like more information about the $25 fee, or if you believe that
the fee was incorrectly withheld, please contact the Friend of the Court office.
