Michigan Legal Help

Filing to Change or Get a Child Support Order

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Learn about changing your child support order or getting a support order if you do not have one.

Articles

Child Support in a Nutshell

Child support is a parent’s court-ordered payment to help with the costs of raising a child. Child support normally includes a base amount, plus amounts for health and child care costs. Child support can be ordered in a paternity or custody case (if the parents were never married), in a divorce case, or as a support case.
Enforcing Orders for Custody, Parenting Time, and Child Support

If your child’s other parent doesn’t obey the court order for child support, custody, or parenting time, you can file a motion to ask the court to enforce it or change it. This article talks about enforcement of these issues.
Friend of the Court Overview

Do you have children and are getting a divorce? Or are you involved in a child support, paternity, or custody case with your child’s other parent? If so, you will probably be involved with the Friend of the Court. This article explains what the Friend of the Court is, when it may become involved in your case, and what to expect when it does.
I Have Child Support Debt I Can't Afford to Pay

If you owe child support debt (“arrears”) that you can't afford to pay, you can ask for a payment plan to pay a set amount for a certain number of months, and then have the remaining debt canceled. If you only owe arrears to the state, you can ask the Friend of the Court to discharge state-owed debt instead.
My Child’s Other Parent Wants to Get a Payment Plan for Child Support Debt

If your child’s other parent owes child support debt (“arrears”) and can't afford to pay, they can ask for a payment plan to pay a set amount for a certain number of months, and then have the remaining debt canceled. Read this article to learn about your rights in this situation.
Mediation and Other Forms of Settlement

Mediation is a settlement process that can help you resolve “contested” issues (things you and the other party don’t agree on) in your court case.
Ex Parte Orders in Family Court

Read this article if you need an emergency order in family court, or if an ex parte order was entered against you and you want to object to it.

Instructions

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Forms

Do-It-Yourself Motion to Change or Get Child Support

Use this tool to prepare forms to ask the court to change a Child Support Order, or to get a Child Support Order if you need one in a divorce, custody, separate maintenance, or paternity case.

Videos

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