The Accounting Department enters court order information into the MiCSES computer system. The accounts are charged according to the order. This includes charging the account for child support, spousal support, medical demands, court ordered fees, court costs, etc.

Arrearages: Arrearages owing are not discharged after the child turns 18. They must be paid in full unless there is a court order dismissing them. A surcharge is added to any arrearage at the rate of 8% per year. Enforcement will continue until the arrearage is paid in full.

Audit: You may request an audit of your account at any time. This request must be made in writing. You will receive a copy of the audit upon completion.

FIA Certification/Decertification: If you are receiving any funds from the Family Independence Agency, your child support, child care, or spousal support will be redirected to the State of Michigan after the Friend of Court receives certification notice. Payments will resume to the custodial parent upon decertification notice from FIA.

Parenting Time Abatement: A parenting time abatement is a retroactive decrease in the child support obligation pursuant to a court order. Most court orders state that a 50% abatement of support will occur after the child has spent 6 consecutive overnights with the non-custodial parent. This abatement does not apply if you have an order of joint physical custody, if you have an arrearage or if you are receiving a cash grant (ie:FIP) from FIA.

IV-D: IV-D is a term derived from the Social Security Act. Federal regulations prescribe which families qualify for specific services. Some of the services under this act include: identifying and locating parents who may be responsible for paying child support, establishing paternity for children born out of wedlock, establishing and modifying support orders, identifying and reporting health insurance policies for the minor children, and tax offset reporting.

Closing Cases: a 60 Day Notice and Notice of Case Closure are sent to each party before a case is closed through the Friend of the Court office. Reasons for case closure include: the children are emancipated and the account is paid in full, the office receives an order of dismissal, adoption, or termination of parental rights and the account has been paid in full. The Friend of the Court may also do an administrative closure, but reopen a case if new information is received.