Friend of the Court


Welcome to the Friend of the Court

The Friend of the Court is part of the 19th Circuit court and is supervised by the Chief Judge. The office serves the public as well as the Courts in providing information, education and services that support decisions that are in the best interest of children. The duties and responsibilities of the office are set forth in the Michigan Statutes. Michigan is unique in that it has the Friend of the Court office dedicated to matters involving child support and families.

FOC and Child Protective Services 

Sometimes parents get confused when the actions or recommendations of Children's Protective Services (CPS) conflict with the court ordered parenting time that the FOC is enforcing. Both CPS and FOC deal with children, but the agencies have very different roles and responsibilities. 

CPS is the agency responsible for investigating the neglect and abuse of children and taking appropriate action to protect any child they find at risk. 

FOC is a neutral third-party of the court, whose role is to assist the court with the enforcement of court orders pertaining to custody, child support, parenting time, and health care. FOC also assists the court in resolving disputes between the parents.

If you suspect abuse or neglect, you should immediately contact the Child Protective Services division of the Department of Health and Human Services at 855-444-3911.

If there is an immediate emergency situation, call 911.

Court Docket

View Circuit Court Docket

Update Personal Information

Fill out, print, and sign this form and return to our office
to update your address, phone number or new employer information.

Uninsured Health Care Expenses 

Court orders require the parents to reimburse each other for part of their children’s uninsured health expenses. If a parent fails to pay his or her share, the FOC will help collect it if the following four conditions are satisfied:

  1. The amount exceeds the annual ordinary amount in the order, or the requesting parent is the support payer.
  2. One parent requests payment from the other parent within 28 days after receiving an insurer’s determination that an expense is not covered.
  3. The other parent does not pay within 28 days of the request for payment.
  4. The FOC’s assistance is requested within one year after incurring the expense, or within six months after the insurer has denied coverage, or within six months after the other parent fails to pay as required.

  If a parent submits a request to the FOC that meets those four requirements, the FOC will notify the other parent of the amount due. If the parent does not object within 21 days, the unpaid amount becomes a support arrearage subject to enforcement. If the parent objects, the FOC must schedule a hearing to decide how to pay the amount that the health insurer did not pay. For more detail please see the attached document,
Uninsured Medical or Healthcare Reimburse Instructions(PDF)
Printable Medical Expense Reimburse Forms(PDF)