{"id":374085,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:40","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/michigan-law\/michigan-child-support-enforcement.html"},"modified":"2025-03-18T15:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T20:09:10","slug":"michigan-child-support-enforcement","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/michigan-law\/michigan-child-support-enforcement.html","title":{"rendered":"Michigan Child Support Enforcement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Michigan Child Support Enforcement<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

In Michigan, after a child support case leaves family court, the Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MISDU)<\/a> collects and distributes support payments. Payor parents send child support payments to the MISDU, and recipient parents receive them.<\/p>\r\n

If the non-custodial parent falls behind in payments, the recipient must contact a court agency to enforce the child support order<\/a>. The Michigan Department of Human Services Friend of the Court<\/a> can help custodial parents recover arrearages<\/a> with a range of enforcement options.<\/p>\r\n

Friend of the Court Office<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

MISDU sends child support enforcement actions to the Friend of the Court. This agency is part of the Michigan Office of Child Support<\/a>. If a parent fails to pay support as required by the court order, the Friend of the Court may request a show-cause hearing. At this hearing, the payor parent must explain why they have not made support payments.<\/p>\r\n

The Support and Parenting Time Enforcement Act<\/a> (MCL \u00a7 552.601 et seq.) encodes all child support laws for the state of Michigan.<\/p>\r\n

Family courts generally prefer that parents make child support payments and resort to criminal sanctions only as a last resort. Michigan law provides other methods of support enforcement<\/a>, including:<\/p>\r\n