Friend of the Court

Brittany A. Dougherty
Director, Friend of the Court
111 S. Michigan
Saginaw, MI 48602-2019
Phone: (989) 790-5300
Fax: (989) 791-3855

NOTICE:  The Friend of the Court staff is back!  Currently, our phones are available for questions as well as the MiChildSupport two way messenger and our email address:  foc@saginawcounty.com.  Please stay tuned for the ability to make an appointment to see a worker in the office – coming soon!

Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MiSDU) Website

 book appointment

Notice: The information contained on this website, particularly the forms and procedures, pertain specifically to the Saginaw County Friend of the Court Office. Friend of the Court Offices in other counties use different forms and may have different policies as required by the family division judges of their circuit.

MiChildSupport

You may now access your child support account information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.michigan.gov/micase

Also, you now have the ability to ask a question and update your personal information electronically through the MiChildSupport website. Your questions will be answered and all responses will be sent directly to your secure MiChildSupport account.

Smile Program

You are now able to watch the SMILE program online!  Please click the link below if you have been ordered to complete the SMILE program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIUoODaDBjc

Friend of the Court Policy Regarding Child Support for an Incarcerated Parent

Effective January 1, 2019, payers of support will no longer be able to receive retroactive child support waiver/credit for times they are incarcerated. Pursuant to MCL 552.603(2), retroactive modification of support is prohibited. See also McLaughlin v McLaughlin, 255 Mich App 475 (2003) for an interpretation of this statute pertaining to incarceration. If a client is incarcerated, he/she must advise the Friend of the Court of their incarceration in writing and request a zero support order. Failure to advise the Friend of the Court of incarceration during the period of incarceration will result in child support continuing to charge. The Friend of the Court will not complete any requests to retroactively modify support for past dates of incarceration.

New Payment Option

Payers are now able to make child support payments in cash at their local 7-Eleven stores, CVS Pharmacy Stores and local Family Dollar stores. You'll need your Social Security Number (SSN) or your taxpayer identification number (TIN) and your Docket Number to obtain a PayNearMe PayCode. The payment may take 2-4 business days to post to your child support account. Please visit misdu.com for more information.

More Options to Make Your Child Support Payment

Non-custodial parents are now able to pay their child support in cash at CVS Pharmacy and Walmart stores using the MoneyGram payment option. This option will be available at CVS Pharmacy and Walmart stores only, and does not include CVS Pharmacy locations within Target or other retail stores, or online payments at MoneyGram.com. Payers wishing to pay their support will need to complete the MoneyGram form and use the Michigan's Receive Code of 14689 available at secure.moneygram.com or from the MoneyGram clerk at the payment location. More information is available on the MiSDU website.

Payment Window-1st Floor

The responsibility of the employees at the payment window is to solely process support payments. Any questions related to your case need to be addressed by the second floor staff. The payment window is open from 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM. The only payments that may be made at the payment window are those that deal with enforcement fees and lump sum amounts or those clients who have been directed to pay at the payment window by a Friend of the Court employee. All other payments MUST be made through the Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MiSDU) - P.O. Box 30350, Lansing, MI 48909-7850.

Support Specialist Contact

Support Specialists (who deal only with support issues) see clients on a walk in basis on Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Written correspondence may be mailed or faxed.

Medical Enforcement

Clients may submit their questions and problems regarding health insurance and out-of-pocket health care costs in writing to the attention of "Medical Enforcement Division." The Medical Support Specialist sees clients for walk ins on Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM.

Information by Phone

If you have questions regarding your child support account, please call (989)790-5300 and connect to the IVR (Interactive Voice Response System). When connected to the IVR, you may transfer to a representative with the MiSDU. These representatives with the MiSDU will help in answering questions regarding disbursement of payments, issuance of checks, and any other account related question. You may also request that your payments be electronically deposited into your account if you are a payee. In order to request an address change or name change, you must submit a request in writing along with documentation showing your address change or name change such as a driver's license or marriage certificate.

Forms

Various forms are available in the second floor lobby of the Friend of the Court Office and under the Forms section of this website. These include petitions to modify support, custody, parenting time, and domicile. Requests for show cause hearings for violation of parenting time orders are also available in addition to petitions to rescind license suspensions.

Friend of the Court Informational Handbook

These handbooks are available by request at the Friend of the Court Office. Please see the Receptionist on the 2nd Floor.

Enforcement Division

The Saginaw County Friend of the Court has a child support enforcement division that actively and aggressively enforces child support orders entered by the court. It is extremely important that child support be paid in a timely fashion. If anyone falls behind in his/her child support in an amount equaling a total of eight weeks or more and is not currently making regular payments, enforcement action will be taken. This could result in an arrest warrant, suspension of driver's license, liens on real and personal property, liens on income tax refunds, and an array of remedies available to the court. Those individuals arrested for nonpayment of support may be sentenced to jail or Work Detail under the Community Service Work Program.

Interstate Support Enforcement

Friend of the Court Caseworker Marcia Coughlin deals with the enforcement of interstate support orders and provides assistance to interstate cases. She sees clients on a walk in basis on Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Written correspondence mail be mailed or faxed. 

Court-Ordered Investigations

Disputes regarding custody, parenting time, and/or domicile may be referred to the Friend of the Court for an investigation and written recommendation. An investigation fee will be assessed against one or both parties before said investigation is begun.

Team Operation

The Saginaw County Friend of the Court operates as a team to serve clients more effectively. Each team consists of three people: an Attorney, Administrative Secretary, and Support Specialist. Effective November 17, 2014, all Friend of the Court cases are assigned to Judge James T. Borchard. Cases are assigned according to the male's last name on the case. See split below.

Additional Links