Michigan Child Support Basics
Michigan state laws regarding child support are none too forgiving when it comes to non-paying parents not paying on their child support.
A non-paying parent can be sentenced up to six months in jail for not paying child support. Even if the parent is placed in jail for not paying child support, they are still responsible for and currently due amounts and any child support that accrues while the parent is in jail.
Michigan's child support laws do not care if a non-custodial parent is unemployed, homeless, filing bankruptcy, etc. the child support payments must still be made and any child support order will be enforced if the child support is not getting paid regardless of the circumstances.
Michigan as well as most states can suspend a non-paying parent's drivers license, professional license, or recreational license if they are not paying their child support.
Usually if a non-custodial parent has not paid child support for 30 days, their license can be suspended at that point in time.
If a parent gets sent to jail for not paying child support it is considered a federal offense and is a mark added to their criminal record. Parents who are behind in child support can even have a negative mark show up on their credit report.
Michigan has over one million child support cases, which makes it the second largest child support state in the United States.
To establish child support in the state of Michigan the county's prosecuting attorney's office is responsible for taking the proper actions to establish child support. The attorney's office will investigate each case and will give recommendations on the findings of each child support case.
There are three different types of child support laws that can be ordered. The three consist of child support, medical support, and childcare support. Usually the court will set the amount & type of child support to be given to the custodial parent for the involved child or children. Usually child support orders are permanent, but they can also be temporary as well. Child support can also be modified by a court order in a paternity action, divorce, child custody action, or even in a separate child support action.
Michigan enforces child support by both federal and Michigan state laws. These laws include, but are not limited to:
- 1. Reporting to credit bureaus
- 2. Driver's license suspension
- 3. Occupational and recreational license suspension
- 4. Passport denial
- 5. Tax refund interception
- 6. Liens
- 7. Court Action
If a Michigan resident wants to make changes to their current child support order, there needs to be a significant change in the financial area of either parents life. Usually the court will look over child support cases every two years to see if any modifications need to be made. It is also required that both parents submit any personal changes as well, such as:
- 1. Address changes
- 2. Employment change or verification
- 3. Current annual wage information
The court may request persona information at any time if they believe a child support modification needs to take place.
An experienced lawyer with a good background of the Michigan state child support laws can probably assist you with furthering your case.