Michigan child support basics cover everything from what child support is and how it's calculated to how payments are made and what happens when circumstances change. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office of Child Support and the Friend of the Court system, administers the child support program statewide. This ensures consistency across Michigan's 83 counties while providing local support through county Friend of the Court offices.
What Is Child Support in Michigan?
Child support is a court-ordered payment that one parent makes to help cover the costs of raising a child. In Michigan, child support recognizes that children need financial support from both parents, even when parents don't live together.
The Purpose of Child Support
The Michigan child support program exists to ensure children receive adequate financial support regardless of their parents' relationship status or living arrangements. The fundamental principle is simple: both parents have a legal responsibility to support their children financially.
Why Child Support Matters:
Regular payment of child support provides several important benefits according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services:
- Decreased conflict between parents by establishing clear financial expectations
- Increased involvement of all parents in their children's lives
- Increased chance of children reaching their full potential through adequate financial resources
- Financial partnership between parents focused on the child's needs
Child support helps maintain children's standard of living and ensures access to necessities like housing, food, clothing, education, and health care. When parents work together to provide financial support, children benefit emotionally and practically.
What Child Support Covers
A Michigan child support order typically includes three main components that together address children's financial needs:
Base Support Amount: The regular monthly payment that covers basic living expenses including housing, food, clothing, transportation, school supplies, and general day-to-day costs of raising children.
Medical Support: Health care obligations including:
- Ordinary medical expenses (currently $454 per year for one child, increasing for additional children)
- Health insurance coverage for the children
- Additional uninsured medical expenses beyond the ordinary amount
- Payment of health insurance premiums
Ordinary medical expenses cover predictable costs like co-pays and deductibles for routine doctor visits, prescriptions, and basic health care needs. These expenses do not include care that parents provide at home, like first aid supplies or over-the-counter medicines. Additional medical expenses beyond the ordinary amount are split between parents based on their income percentages.
Childcare Expenses: Work-related or education-related child care costs are included when parents have an established child care pattern with actual, predictable, and reasonable expenses. This covers daycare, before and after school care, and summer programs needed for employment or education purposes.
Types of Cases Involving Child Support
Child support can be ordered in several types of legal proceedings in Michigan:
- Divorce cases when couples with children end their marriages
- Custody cases when unmarried parents establish custody and parenting time arrangements
- Paternity cases when paternity needs to be established before support can be ordered
- Separate maintenance cases for legally separated couples
- Support-only cases when parents need child support orders without other family law issues
Regardless of which type of case establishes child support, the same Michigan Child Support Formula applies statewide, ensuring consistency and fairness.
Who Pays Child Support and Who Receives It?
Understanding who pays and receives child support is one of the most basic Michigan child support basics that every parent should know.
The Payer and Payee
In Michigan child support terminology, two terms describe the parties:
The Payer: The parent who pays child support is called the "payer." This is typically the parent with whom the child spends less time, though not always. The Michigan Child Support Formula determines which parent pays based on income and parenting time.
The Payee: The parent who receives child support payments is called the "payee." This is usually the parent with whom the child lives full-time or spends more overnights. The payee uses these payments to help cover the child's living expenses.
How the Formula Determines Who Pays
The Michigan Child Support Formula uses a mathematical calculation to determine which parent pays child support and how much. This calculation considers:
Income of Both Parents: The formula looks at both parents' income and calculates each parent's proportional share of the combined income. For example, if one parent earns 60% of the combined income and the other earns 40%, each is responsible for that percentage of the child's expenses.
Parenting Time: The number of overnight visits (overnights) each parent has with the child affects the calculation. The parent with fewer overnights typically pays their share of child support to the parent with more overnights, who is directly spending money on the child during their parenting time.
Combined Factors: When these factors are combined using the Michigan Child Support Formula, one parent usually ends up as the payer and the other as the payee. In most cases, the parent with less parenting time and/or higher income pays support to the parent with more parenting time and/or lower income.
Special Situations Affecting Payment
Public Assistance: When the custodial parent or child receives public assistance, child support payments may go to the state instead of directly to the payee. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services may seek child support to offset the cost of providing assistance.
If the custodial parent gets cash assistance (Family Independence Program or FIP), they can keep up to $100 per month in child support for one child, or up to $200 per month for two or more children. This is called a "pass-through" payment. Any support beyond this amount goes to the state to reimburse assistance costs.
Non-Parent Custodians: Sometimes a child lives with someone other than a parent, such as a grandparent or other relative. In these cases, one or both parents may be ordered to pay child support to the custodial non-parent.
How Long Does Child Support Last?
One of the most common questions about Michigan child support basics is when child support obligations end.
Standard Termination at Age 18
Child support normally stops when a child turns 18 years old. At this point, Michigan law considers the child an adult who no longer requires court-ordered support from parents.
However, reaching age 18 doesn't automatically terminate a child support order. The order remains legally enforceable until:
- The court formally terminates the order
- The child ages out under the law
- Another terminating event occurs (adoption, emancipation, death)
Extended Support Until Age 19½
Child support can continue past age 18 under specific circumstances. A judge can order support for a child between 18 and 19½ years old if all these conditions are met:
- The child attends high school full-time
- The child has a reasonable expectation of graduating
- The child lives full-time with the parent who receives child support or at an institution
Important Notification Requirement: The custodial parent must notify the Friend of the Court in writing before the child's 18th birthday to ensure continuation of support beyond age 18. This notification should include documentation from the high school confirming:
- The child's full-time enrollment status
- The anticipated graduation date
- Confirmation the child meets the requirements
Without this advance notification, child support may automatically terminate when the child turns 18, even if they're still in high school.
Support Continues for Arrearages
Even after a child ages out of eligibility for ongoing support, past-due child support (called "arrearages" or "back support") remains owed. The paying parent must continue making payments until all arrearages are paid in full.
For example, if a child turns 18 and graduates high school, but the paying parent owes $5,000 in past-due support, payments must continue until that $5,000 debt is satisfied. Arrearages don't disappear just because the child reaches adulthood.
The Michigan Child Support Formula
The Michigan Child Support Formula is the standardized calculation method used statewide to determine child support amounts. Understanding this formula is essential to Michigan child support basics.
What the Formula Considers
The Michigan Child Support Formula takes multiple factors into account to calculate fair support amounts:
Both Parents' Income: The formula uses net monthly income (gross income minus allowable deductions) for both parents. Income includes wages, self-employment earnings, investment income, rental property income, Social Security benefits (except SSI), unemployment benefits, and other sources.
Number of Children: More children require more support. The formula increases the base support obligation for each additional child, though not proportionally (recognizing that some costs don't multiply with each child).
Parenting Time (Overnights): The number of nights per year each child spends with each parent significantly affects the calculation. More parenting time for the paying parent reduces their payment obligation because they're spending money directly on the child during their time.
Health Care Costs: The formula factors in health insurance premiums paid for children, ordinary medical expenses (the standard annual amount), and how these costs are split between parents.
Childcare Expenses: Actual, documented child care costs for work or education purposes are added to the support calculation and divided proportionally between parents based on income.
How Support Is Calculated
The Michigan Child Support Formula follows a specific calculation process:
- Calculate each parent's net monthly income
- Add incomes together to determine combined net income
- Use combined income and number of children to find the base support obligation
- Determine each parent's proportional share based on their income percentage
- Adjust for parenting time with each parent
- Add health care costs and child care expenses
- Calculate the final monthly support payment
Using the MiChildSupport Calculator
The Office of Child Support provides a free online calculator on the MiChildSupport website where anyone can estimate child support amounts. The calculator uses the same Michigan Child Support Formula that courts use, helping parents understand potential support obligations before going to court.
While the calculator provides helpful estimates, remember that only a judge can issue an official child support order. The calculator is a planning tool, not a legal document.
The Uniform Child Support Order
When a judge orders child support in Michigan, the order takes a specific form called the Uniform Child Support Order (UCSO). This standardized document is used statewide to ensure consistency.
What the UCSO Contains
The Uniform Child Support Order specifies:
- Monthly base support amount
- Ordinary medical expense amount
- Health insurance premium responsibility
- Childcare expense amounts and allocation
- Total monthly support payment
- Income withholding authorization
- Payment instructions (where to send payments)
- Start date and duration of support
How Orders Are Established
Child support orders can be established through several processes:
Through Divorce or Custody Cases: When parents file for divorce or custody, child support is typically addressed as part of the case. The Friend of the Court investigates, calculates support using the Michigan Child Support Formula, and recommends a Uniform Child Support Order to the judge.
Through the Office of Child Support: Parents can apply for child support services through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of Child Support or local prosecuting attorney establishes paternity if needed, calculates support, and requests a court order.
By Agreement: Parents can agree on child support amounts and submit a proposed Uniform Child Support Order to the court. However, even agreed amounts must follow the Michigan Child Support Formula unless the judge approves a deviation based on specific circumstances.
Making Child Support Payments
Understanding how to properly make child support payments is a critical part of Michigan child support basics.
The Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MiSDU)
The Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MiSDU) serves as the central payment processing center for all Michigan child support. Unless a court order specifically states otherwise, all child support payments must be sent to MiSDU.
MiSDU Contact Information:
- Address: P.O. Box 30351, Lansing, MI 48909-7851
- Phone: 1-877-543-2660
- Website: www.misdu.com
MiSDU receives payments, records them in the Michigan Child Support Enforcement System, and distributes payments to payees. Both parents can track payments through MiSDU's system.
Income Withholding
Most Michigan child support orders include income withholding, the primary method for collecting child support payments. With income withholding:
- The employer receives an income withholding notice from the court
- The employer automatically deducts child support from the payer's paycheck
- The employer sends the withheld amount to MiSDU
- MiSDU processes and forwards the payment to the payee
- Both parents receive copies of the income withholding order
Income withholding ensures consistent, timely payments and is the most reliable payment method. The payer doesn't need to remember to make payments, and the payee receives regular, predictable support.
Alternative Payment Methods
When income withholding isn't possible (self-employment, unemployment, etc.), other payment methods include:
- Check or money order mailed to MiSDU
- Online payment through MiSDU website
- Phone payment with credit/debit card
- In-person payment at some Friend of the Court offices
Critical: Proper Payment Identification
Every payment must include:
- Payer's name
- Case docket number
- Last four digits of payer's Social Security Number
Payments without proper identification are delayed, and payers may face enforcement actions for apparent non-payment even though they sent money.
Direct Payments Between Parents
Generally, parents should NOT make child support payments directly to each other unless the court order specifically authorizes this arrangement. Payments made outside MiSDU or the Friend of the Court office won't be officially credited unless the payee reports them to the FOC.
Making direct payments creates several problems:
- No official record of payment
- Potential disputes about whether payments were made
- Risk of non-payment claims and enforcement actions
- Difficulty proving payment amounts and dates
Always pay through official channels to protect yourself and maintain accurate records.
Enforcing Child Support Orders
When child support payments aren't made as ordered, Michigan's child support program enforces child support obligations through various mechanisms.
The Friend of the Court's Enforcement Role
Each county's Friend of the Court office monitors child support compliance and enforces child support orders. The FOC tracks payments, identifies non-payment, and initiates enforcement actions when necessary.
Enforcement Methods
Michigan law provides multiple tools for enforcing child support:
Income Withholding: The most common enforcement method, automatically deducting support from wages.
Tax Refund Interception: State and federal tax refunds can be intercepted to satisfy past-due child support.
License Suspension: Driver's licenses, professional licenses, and recreational licenses (hunting, fishing) can be suspended for non-payment.
Property Liens: Liens can be placed on real estate, vehicles, and other property to secure payment of arrearages.
Contempt of Court: Parents who willfully fail to pay child support can be held in contempt of court, facing potential penalties including jail time and fines.
Credit Reporting: Unpaid child support can be reported to credit bureaus, affecting credit scores.
When Enforcement Begins
The Friend of the Court automatically begins enforcement proceedings when unpaid support equals or exceeds one month's court-ordered payment. Parents receiving support don't need to request enforcement—the FOC monitors cases and acts when non-payment is detected.
Changing Child Support Orders
Life circumstances change, and Michigan child support basics include understanding when and how support orders can be modified.
When to Modify Support
Child support orders can be changed when circumstances significantly change, such as:
- Either parent's income changes substantially
- Parenting time arrangements change
- Child care costs increase or decrease
- Health insurance costs change
- Either parent has additional children
- A child's needs change significantly
Friend of the Court Reviews
The Friend of the Court automatically reviews child support orders every 36 months when the child or custodial parent receives public assistance. Parents can also request reviews, but not more than once every 36 months unless significant circumstances have changed.
The FOC will only recommend modifying support if the new calculated amount differs from the current order by at least 10% or $50 per month, whichever is greater.
Filing a Motion to Modify
Either parent can file a motion asking the judge to change child support at any time. Michigan Legal Help provides a free Do-It-Yourself Motion to Change or Get Child Support tool to help parents prepare the necessary forms.
Important Timing Rule: Child support modifications generally are NOT retroactive. Judges cannot change past-due support amounts. This means you continue owing support at the old rate until your motion is filed and a new order is entered. File your motion as soon as circumstances change to avoid accumulating arrearages.
Special Circumstances
Incarceration: If a payer will be incarcerated for 180 consecutive days or more and won't have the ability to pay support, support may abate (stop charging) during incarceration. The Friend of the Court sends notice of abatement to both parents.
Incapacitation: If a payer becomes incapacitated (unable to earn income for likely 180+ days due to disability, serious injury, or illness), a judge may set child support at zero. File a motion as soon as possible after becoming incapacitated.
Resources and Getting Help
Several resources help parents understand and navigate Michigan child support basics.
The MiChildSupport Website
The Office of Child Support maintains the MiChildSupport website (micase.state.mi.us) offering:
- Free child support calculator
- Case information access (24/7)
- Payment history viewing
- Forms and applications
- Educational resources
- Frequently asked questions
Friend of the Court Offices
Every Michigan county has a Friend of the Court office providing child support services including:
- Calculating child support
- Preparing child support orders
- Processing payments
- Enforcing orders
- Conducting support reviews
- Answering questions about child support
Find your county's Friend of the Court office contact information on the MiChildSupport website or through your county circuit court.
Michigan Legal Help
Free legal information and do-it-yourself tools are available at michiganlegalhelp.org, including:
- Comprehensive articles about child support
- Do-It-Yourself tools for motions and forms
- Step-by-step instructions for court procedures
- Information about finding legal assistance
When to Consult an Attorney
While many parents successfully handle child support matters without attorneys, consider legal help when:
- Income situations are complex (self-employment, businesses, irregular income)
- You want to request deviation from the Michigan Child Support Formula
- The other parent has an attorney
- Enforcement problems persist
- Modification requests are contested
- Large arrearages have accumulated
Many attorneys offer initial consultations to discuss your situation and options. If you have low income, you may qualify for free legal services through legal aid organizations.
Mastering Michigan Child Support Basics
Remember that child support is a court-ordered payment designed to ensure children receive financial support from both parents. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, through the Office of Child Support and Friend of the Court offices throughout the state, administers the child support program to help establish, enforce, and modify child support orders.
Whether you're the custodial parent who lives full-time with the child and receives support, or the parent ordered to pay child support, understanding these basics helps you meet your obligations, protect your rights, and most importantly, ensure your children have the financial resources they need to thrive. Use available resources like the MiChildSupport website, contact your local Friend of the Court office with questions, and don't hesitate to seek legal help when situations become complex. With proper understanding of Michigan child support basics, you can successfully navigate the system and focus on what matters most—your children's wellbeing.