Each support case is assigned to a team in the Friend of the Court office consisting of an enforcement caseworker and an enforcement clerk. The telephone directory on this site shows how cases are assigned. You may contact the team members assigned to your case by mail, e-mail, telephone, or voice mail. Because of the number of cases and cost, we do not return telephone calls, but we will try to promptly respond to other contacts. You can send us e-mail through this web site.

Support enforcement is controlled by Michigan statute. These are the remedies available to us:

Income Withholding Order:
An order directed to the payer's employer to withhold child support from a payroll check. Money withheld by the employer must be sent within 3 days of the payroll. The money is sent first to the State Disbursement Unit (SDU), who disburses it to the payee.

Data Warehouse:
An electronic data base available to the FOC. All employers nationwide are required to report newly hired employees to this data base with 21 days of the hire date. Income withholding orders are automatically issued by the FOC as new hires are reported.

Seven Day Notice:
A notice sent to a payer to report new employment to FOC within 7 days. This is sent whenever the FOC is notified by an employer that employment has been terminated.

Income Tax Refund Offset:
The tax refund of a payer will automatically be intercepted by the State of Michigan when arrearages exceed $500 for federal taxes and $150 for state taxes. By law, any intercepted money goes first to repay the State for any welfare certified arrearages.

Order to Show Cause (OSC):
A court order requiring the payer to appear at the FOC office to explain nonpayment. This order may be issued if 2 months of arrearages exist and the payer has not otherwise explained the lack of payment.

Supervision Order:
A court order requiring payment in a set amount and providing for sanctions upon noncompliance.

Bench Warrant:
A Judge's order for the arrest of the payer. It may be issued for failure to appear for an OSC or for violation of a probation order.

Interstate Enforcement:
A request to or from another state for support enforcement under the Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Support Act (UIFSA). There is a separate page on this web site explaining interstate enforcement.

License Suspension:
If support arrearages exceed two months of support, the FOC can request the court to suspend the driver's, occupational, or hunting license of the payer.

Bank Account Lien:
This program is now run by the State of Michigan and allows the state to attach bank accounts belonging to the payer upon arrearages exceeding two months of support. If money is taken from an account, it is sent to SDU for distribution.