Friend of the Court
TUSCOLA COUNTY FRIEND OF THE COURT GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN REVISED EFFECTIVE 10/1/2023
Any Parenting Time and Custody questions, concerns, and/or complaints must be submitted on this form HERE.
The Friend of the Court is now open to the public. We continue to encourage the use of virtual means to contact our office or file documents such as email, in writing, phone & fax as listed below. Creating an online account and payment options are listed below under the Payments section. You may reach us as follows:
- Email: foc@tuscolacounty.org
- In writing: 440 N. State Street, Caro MI 48723
- By phone: 989-673-4848
- By fax: 989-989-673-4898
Michigan Legal Help
Payments
If you would like to make a support payment, please visit the Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MiSDU) at www.misdu.com.
You can access your case information, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by signing up with MiChildSupport at www.michigan.gov/micase
Hearings
Most Friend of the Court hearings are being held in person, except in limited circumstances.
Information
- Contact Us
- FAQ
- Forms
- Make A Payment
- Child Support/Medical Enforcement
- Modify Child Support
- Custody/Parenting Time
- Useful Links
- Request for Accommodations
- Information
Contact Us
There are several ways to contact the Friend of the Court
Online
Email: foc@tuscolacounty.org
MiChild Support: micase.state.mi.us/micaseapp/public/home.html
By Phone/Fax
- Main Line: 989-673-4848
- Fax Line: 989-673-4898
- 24 Hr Interactive Voice Response (IVR): 877-543-2660
In Person/Mail
Friend of the Court is located on the 1st floor of the Tuscola County Courthouse:
440 North State Street
Caro, Michigan 48723
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Enforcement Division
Enforcement Specialists are assigned to cases based on the father's last name. Contact your Enforcement Specialist if you have questions regarding show cause hearings, bench warrants, income withholding notices, employer related questions, locating individuals whose address is unknown, an intersate case, medical enforcement or any other question related to enforcement.
- Father's last name A-K 989-672-3732
- Father's last name L-Z 989-672-3226
Parenting Time/Custody
For questions, concerns, and/or complaints, please fill out this form HERE.
Accounting and Uninsured Medical Expenses
If you have accounting or general questions related to payments made and/or credits received, contact our Accounting Department:
- 989-672-3202
How To Pay Your Child Support
Income Withholding:
- If you are currently employed, FOC can usually issue an income withholding order to your employer so payments come directly out of your paycheck.
- Your court order requires you to provide new employer information to FOC so an income withholding order can be sent to your employer.
- If an income withholding order is issued to your employer and you feel that you cannot afford the withholding amount, contact the FOC for assistance.
Enforcement
Court Orders
Friend of the Court is responsible for enforcing court orders. A few things to keep in mind:
- • Friend of the Court will consider a payer’s ability to pay child support when determining which enforcement actions it will take.
- • Friend of the Court enforces court orders as they are written. If you believe that your order needs to be modified, please see our web pages entitled "Modify Child Support" and "Custody/Parenting Time" for more information.
Bench Warrants
If you have an outstanding bench warrant, Friend of the Court will attempt to work with you to resolve this matter before you are arrested. Please contact the Friend of the Court at 989-673-4848 to discuss your options.
Medical Support
Insurance Coverage
Michigan law requires that child support orders contain a provision requiring at least one parent to provide health insurance for their child(ren). If a party is ordered to provide health insurance, Friend of the Court will send a National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) to the party's employer. However, if the cost of providing coverage is more than 6% of the parent’s gross income, it might not be be considered a “reasonable” cost. If you believe that your employer's insurance is too expensive and therefore not reasonable, contact the Friend of the Court.
Uninsured Medical Expenses
When one party incurs medical expenses that are not covered by insurance, they might be able to ask for a reimbursement from the other parent depending on what the court order says. Contact Friend of the Court at 989-673-4848 if you need help with reimbursement of medical expenses.
Modifying A Child Support Order
There are three ways to have a child support order reviewed for possible modification:
- 1. File a Motion to Change Order; or
- 2. Submit a Request for Support Review ; or
- 3. FOC may start a child support review when any of the following circumstances exist:
- If a child is being supported in whole (or part) by public assistance. Public assistance includes cash, food and/or medical assistance received from the State of Michigan.
- A substantial change in circumstances has occurred, and this change may affect the child support amount.
- At the direction of the Court.
- Upon written request from either party. The Friend of the Court is not required to investigate more than 1 request received from a party every 3 years.
If you have questions regarding a support review, you may contact the Friend of the Court's Modification Specialists at 989-673-4848 or foc@tuscolacounty.org
Custody/Parenting Time
For a copy of the Tuscola County Friend of the Court Parenting Time Supervisor Policy Revision please click here.
Enforcement Of Parenting Time Orders & Makeup Parenting Time
Friend of the Court assists parties in enforcing parenting time orders only through written request. If you have a court order for parenting time and the other party is not complying with the court's order, you may file a Parenting Time Complaint. Please remember that Friend of the Court can only enforce court orders signed by the Judge.
For a copy of our make up parenting time policy, click here.
Modification Of Custody/Parenting Time Orders
Modifying custody/parenting time orders may be a complicated issue because certain proofs must be made to the court before the court will modify a custody/parenting time order. You may wish to discuss this issue with an attorney to determine how best to proceed. Also, you may wish to review our "Useful Links" page for additional legal resources.
If parties have attempted to privately resolve their issues but are unable to do so, they may request a Dispute Resolution Conference. At this meeting, parties will be given an opportunity to discuss their respective issues in an attempt to reach an agreement. Friend of the Court will only schedule a Dispute Resolution Conference if BOTH parties are willing to attend.
For a copy of our Dispute Resolution Conference form, please click here.
Parenting Time Guidelines
For a copy of the Tuscola County Friend of the Court Parenting Time Guidelines please click here.