Michigan Child Support Attorneys

Child Support Lawyer Michigan | Legal Help for Fathers with Child Support

In Michigan, child support is a parent’s court ordered payment to help with the costs of raising a child.

Child support is based upon a statutory formula called the Michigan Child Support Formula, which includes a base amount, and amounts for health care and child care. Child support is ordered when parents are going through a divorce or legal separation. A parent is required to support their child financially regardless of their parenting time schedule.

If you are unhappy with your current arrangement, then there are ways for you to seek a change to the existing child support order. The attorneys at American Divorce Association for Men have over 30 years of experience fighting for the rights of men with their family law cases. Our Detroit child support attorney can also help you obtain the best possible results for your child support case.

MI Child Support Law – Who Pays Child Support?

The Michigan Child Support Formula determines which parent will pay child support and will also determine the support amount.

How is Child Support Calculated in Michigan?

The child support amount is calculated using the Michigan Child Support Formula. The amount depends often on each parent’s income and the number of nights the child spends with each parent.

The Michigan Child Support Formula takes the following factors into account:

• Each parent’s income
• Parenting time
• Number of children supported
• Estimated cost of childcare
• Health care expenses
• Childcare expenses
• Other factors

However, it’s important to note that the judge may choose not to use this formula to calculate child support in very unusual cases. The judge can only do this if it is determined that using the formula to calculate child support would be unjust or inappropriate given the child’s circumstances.

For example, the judge may deviate from the formula if a child has special needs or unusually high education expenses to determine how much child support is owed.

What Types of Income Are Considered When Calculating Child Support?

The first step in calculating child support is determining each parent’s individual income. Michigan courts will consider many types of income when calculating child support, including:

• Wages, overtime pay, bonuses, commissions
• Rental income
• Income generated from a business or partnership
• Tips
• Interest
• Dividends
• Capital gains earned from recurring transactions
• The market value of certain “perks” provided to the parent for free such as housing, meals, or the use of a company vehicle
• Veterans’ administration benefits
• Disability benefits
• Unemployment benefits
• Social Security benefits
• Workers’ compensation benefits

These are some of the most common forms of income that are used to determine how much money each parent has to pay child support.

How Long Will A Parent Need to Make Child Support Payments?

Child support payments usually stop when a child turns 18. But a judge may extend child support if:

• The child attends high school full-time.
• The child is expected to graduate.
• The child lives full-time with the parent who receives child support or at an institution.

If all three of these conditions are met, the court may order a parent to continue making child support payments until the child is 19.5 years old.

Enforcement of Child Support in Michigan

Parents are required to pay child support orders regardless of their parental involvement. The court may implement enforcement methods to ensure parents pay their child support.

Enforcement methods may include:

• Withholding income from a payer’s wages
• Placing a lien on a payer’s real or personal property
• Garnishing state and federal tax refunds
• Suspending driver’s license
• Contempt proceedings, which can lead to jail time

Unpaid child support will also be reported to credit bureaus, which means these debts will appear on your credit report and impact your ability to obtain new lines of credit in the future.

Work with Our Michigan Child Support Lawyers Today!

The attorneys at ADAM fight aggressively for a fair child support determination, whether our client is the one paying child support or receiving the child support. We have over 30 years of experience representing fathers with their child support cases. We understand how frustrating it can be to deal with child support issues on your own, that is why our team of experts are ready to guide you through the process, and help you get the best possible results for your case. We are also proud to represent clients in Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Livingston, Washtenaw, Monroe, Lapeer & St. Clair Counties.

Are you unhappy with your current child support arrangement? Contact our experienced Wayne child support attorneys for a free consultation!