Livingston County MI - Friend of the Court

Support Review Process

The Friend of the Court may conduct a review of child support once every 36 months.
A support review can be conducted for the following circumstances:

Based upon a written request from either the Plaintiff or Defendant to the Livingston County Friend of the Court for a child support review, not more often than once every 36 months from the date of the last Order or the last review.
Based on an Order from the Court for a child support review.
Every 36 months if the recipient of support receives public assistance.
Upon Friend of the Court initiative under certain case conditions.

Filing a Motion for Child Support Modification

If you are not eligible for a review of child support through the Livingston County Friend of the Court and your circumstances have changed, you can petition the
Court for modification of child support on your own or through an attorney. The required forms for filing a petition to modify child support can be found here:

http://www.co.livingston.mi.us/CircuitCourtClerk/forms.htm

Agreement Between the Parties to Modify Support

If both you and the opposite party agree to change child support, you may complete a Uniform Child Support Order and submit it to the Friend of the Court Office for approval.

The Uniform Child Support Form can be found here: http://Courts.michigan.gov/scao/Courtforms/domesticrelations/drindex.htm#foc

Please keep in mind that while parties are able to agree to a child support amount, the Court is required to Order support according to the Michigan Child Support Guidelines.

The Court may depart from the Guidelines if the following four factors are stated pursuant to MCL 552.605.

If a Court Orders the payment of child support under this or another act of the state, this section applies to that Order.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Court shall Order child support in an amount determined by application of the child support formula developed by the state Friend of the Court Bureau as required in section 19 of the Friend of the Court act, MCL 552.519. The Court may enter an Order that deviates from the formula if the Court determines from the facts of the case that application of the child support formula would be unjust or inappropriate and sets forth in writing or on the record all of the following:
1. The child support amount determined by application of the child support formula.
2. How the child support Order deviates from the child support formula.
3. The value of property or other support awarded instead of the payment of child support, if applicable.
4. The reasons why application of the child support formula would be unjust or inappropriate in the case.
5. Subsection (2) does not prohibit the Court from entering a child support Order that is agreed to by the parties and that deviates from the child support formula, if the requirements of subsection (2) are met.