Michigan Act 294 of 1982



FRIEND OF THE COURT ACT

Act 294 of 1982

AN ACT to revise and consolidate the laws relating to the friend of the court; to provide for the appointment or removal of the friend of the court; to create the office of the friend of the court; to establish the rights, powers, and duties of the friend of the court and the office of the friend of the court; to establish a state friend of the court bureau and to provide the powers and duties of the bureau; to prescribe powers and duties of the circuit court and of certain state and local agencies and officers; to establish friend of the court citizen advisory committees; to prescribe certain duties of certain employers and former employers; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.


History: 1982, Act 294, Eff. July 1, 1983 ;--Am. 1985, Act 208, Eff. Mar. 1, 1986 ;--Am. 1996, Act 366, Eff. Jan. 1, 1997
Popular Name: Friend of the Court




The People of the State of Michigan enact:

DocumentDescription
Section 552.501Short title; purposes and construction of act.
Section 552.502Definitions; B to I.
Section 552.502aDefinitions; M to T.
Section 552.503Office of the friend of the court; creation in judicial circuit; exception; separate office in county; vacancy; merger; head of office as friend of the court; friend of the court as employee of circuit court; performance of duties; office procedures; availability of services to public.
Section 552.504Citizen friend of the court advisory committee; establishment; composition; appointment; vacancy; terms; election of chairperson and vice-chairperson; court administrative office guidelines; term limitation.
Section 552.504aCitizen advisory committee; scope; duties; subcommittees; meetings open to the public; exception.
Section 552.504bInformation and records to be provided to citizen advisory committee.
Section 552.504cInformation and records as confidential; disclosure; penalty; grounds for dismissal.
Section 552.505Duties of friend of the court; failure of party to attend scheduled meeting.
Section 552.505aOpen friend of the court case; closure.
Section 552.507Referee; designation by chief judge; powers; transcript of hearing; cost; de novo court hearing; request; interim order; review.
Section 552.507aMaking report, recommendation, and supporting documents available to attorneys and parties; informing parties in child custody dispute or guardian concerning preference expressed by child; availability of information.
Section 552.508Expediting relief; methods.
Section 552.509Duties of office regarding support payments; transition to state disbursement unit; providing statement of account to parties; initiating and carrying out proceedings to enforce order entered in domestic relations matter; enforcement orders entered in other state.
Section 552.509aTransition to centralized receipt and disbursement of support and fees.
Section 552.511Initiating enforcement of support order and custody or parenting time order; procedure; arrearage; amnesty.
Section 552.511aPayment of health care expense; complaint; sending copy of complaint and notice to parent; objection; hearing.
Section 552.511bCustody or parenting time order violations; complaint; sending copy of complaint to individual accused of interfering; action.
Section 552.512Providing information to consumer reporting agency.
Section 552.513Domestic relations mediation; services; agreement; consent order; confidentiality of communications; minimum qualifications of mediator.
Section 552.515Performance by mediator of certain functions involving party prohibited.
Section 552.517Review of child support order after final judgment; notices and conduct of review; modification order; certain determinations requiring report; contents of report; petition for modification; scheduling of hearing; objection to determination of no change in order; petition to require dependent health care coverage; costs.
Section 552.517aRepealed. 2002, Act 571, Imd. Eff. Oct. 3, 2002.
Section 552.517bReview of order; notice of right to request; notice of review; calculation of support amount; objection; joint meeting expediting resolution of support issues; recommendation; modification; frequency of review.
Section 552.517cReview of support order in another state; procedures.
Section 552.517dMotion for modification of parenting time order.
Section 552.517eArrearage payment schedules; administrative adjustment.
Section 552.518Information from employer or former employer relative to parent.
Section 552.519State friend of the court bureau; creation; supervision and direction; main office; duties; state advisory committee; report or recommendation; reimbursement for expenses; meetings; assistance.
Section 552.520Information requested by family independence agency.
Section 552.521Person appointed as friend of the court under former act; continuation; transfer of files, records, funds, and pending cases of office under former act; employees of friend of the court appointed under former act to become employees of corresponding office; employees of state judicial council serving in third judicial circuit to continue in present positions.
Section 552.522Appointment of attorney to assist friend of the court; compensation; payment.
Section 552.523Vacancy; appointment of person to position of friend of the court or interim friend of the court; experience or education.
Section 552.524Annual review of performance record of friend of the court; public notice and comments; written evaluation; written response; copies.
Section 552.525Removal of friend of the court; approval.
Section 552.526Grievance procedure; records; public access to report of grievances; powers and duties of citizen advisory committee.
Section 552.527Compensation and expenses of friend of the court and employees.
Section 552.528Compilation of data; transmission of report to state court administrator.
Section 552.531Repealed. 1996, Act 366, Eff. Jan. 1, 1997.
Section 552.533Repeal of §§ 552.251 to 552.255.
Section 552.534Conditional effective date.
Section 552.535Effective date.