When a judge determines child support, payment amounts will depend on the children’s specific care needs as well as each parent’s financial resources. However, these factors are likely to change as children grow and parents move on with their separate lives.
In Michigan, parents may be able to modify their support agreement either through one of the state’s Friend of the Court offices or by appealing to the court directly.
How parents can seek modification
Generally, parents can request that the FOC office review their support order once every 36 months. If the FOC finds that the financial circumstances of either parent or expenses related to a child’s care have changed substantially, it will ask the court to increase or decrease support amounts.
However, the FOC review process can take considerable time to complete. if a parent requires an immediate change, he or she may file a motion directly with the court.
What happens after an FOC review?
After completing a review, the FOC will notify both parents of any changes it proposes. The new amounts will go into effect if the court approves and neither parent files an objection. However, if one or both parents object, a hearing may be necessary to determine an appropriate support order.
Both parents may agree that a change to support is necessary. Parents may be able to avoid going to court by working with their local FOC office to write a revised agreement. The FOC will then ask that the court enter the new order, which will go into effect once both parties have signed the agreement and the court approves the new amounts.
