Friend of the Court

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Brochure & Application
Michigan Child Support Program Launches Mi-Case Web Site
Parents who pay or receive child support in Michigan now have a convenient and secure web site to review their payment and case information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
www.michigan.gov/MiCase
Click on the link to review your child support payment and case information.

Jennell L. Challa, Friend of the Court
Thomas H. Miller, Assistant Friend of the Court - Field Services
Sherry VanBemmelen, Assistant Friend of the Court - Internal Operations

Office Address:

Friend of the Court
414 Washington Avenue - Room 225
Grand Haven, MI 49417
Friend of the Court Holland Satellite Office
12185 James St, Suite 170
Holland, MI 49424

Mailing address:

Friend of the Court
414 Washington Avenue, Room 225
Grand Haven, MI 49417

You can also contact the Friend of the Court online

Main Telephone Number:

Grand Haven: (616) 846-8210
Holland: (616) 392-3111
Grand Rapids/Hudsonville: (616) 662-6060
Fax Number: (616) 846-8128

Office Hours:

Main Office
Monday: 7:30 am - 8:00 pm
Tuesday-Friday: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Holland Office
Wednesday: 8:30 am -12:00 pm, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

The Holland satellite office is located in the Juvenile Services suite of offices in the Department of Human Services building. The office is operated on a walk-in basis and clients will be served on a first come, first served basis.

Other Web Resources:

NOTICE - Important information regarding payments on the MiSDU website.
Monday, May 17, 2010 Immediate Impacts on Customers Paying Support Payments via the MiSDU.com web site

The MiSDU will be changing the company that processes credit card payments and ACH debit payments for Michigan child support.

  1. Effective May 25, 2010, VISA cards will no longer be accepted by the MiSDU. We will continue to accept Master Card, American Express and Discover.
  2. ALL recurring payments that you had previously set up to pay child support will have to be re-entered. The last day for processing scheduled recurring payments is 5/24/10. Any and all recurring payments scheduled to process 5/25/10 or after will not be processed unless you re-enter them.
  3. The MiSDU urges you to print a copy of your payment history from our web site before May 25, 2010. You may always obtain the last 18 months of payment history by signing up for and using MiCASE located at www.michigan.gov/micase.
  4. After May 25, 2010 bank routing and account information will need to be entered each time a payment is initiated. You will continue to have access to your employee’s case information for future payments when you log into your payment profile, however banking information will not be saved and must be re-entered each time a payment is made.
  5. The child support payment and convenience fee will be combined as one inclusive debit to your account. The debit on your billing statement will appear as L2G*State of MI Child Lansing, MI.
  6. All credit card payments will be charged a convenience fee. The convenience fee will be 2.35% of the total payment amount.
The MiSDU.com website will be temporarily unavailable during the transition period, which will occur approximately between the hours of 11:30p.m. – 12:00a.m. EST on May 24th.

MiSDU - Make Child Support Payments (see above notice)
24-hour online access to your child support case - MiCASE
Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney

For Interpreter Services for hearings or FOC appointments, contact the 20th Circuit Court at (616) 846-8320.

Mission Statement of the 20th Judicial Circuit and Ottawa County Probate Courts:

To administer justice and restore wholeness in a manner that inspires public trust.

Department Overview:

The Friend of the Court Office is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court - Family Division (herein referred to as "Family Court") and is responsible for protecting the rights and interests of the children in domestic relations matters. The Friend of the Court Office has the following statutory duties:
  1. To investigate, report, and recommend to the Family Court which parent should have custody of minor children.
  2. To enforce all child support orders, including medical support orders, entered by the Family Court.
  3. To insure that children's rights to parenting time with the non-custodial parents are protected, and to enforce parenting time rights ordered by the Family Court when parenting time is denied.