Child Support
MCL 552.605 — the Friend of the Court formula, unless the court explains why not, and in high school until 19 and a half
Whenever a court orders child support, the amount is the one the child support formula produces. The formula is developed by the State Friend of the Court Bureau. The court may depart from it only if it finds that applying the formula would be unjust or inappropriate, and it then states in writing or on the record the formula amount, how the order departs from it, the value of any property or other support given instead, and why the formula would be unjust or inappropriate.
Who handles this in Michigan: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Michigan directory.
Past 18, while in high school. A court may order support while a child regularly attends high school full time with a reasonable expectation of earning enough credits to graduate, living full time with the parent receiving support or at an institution, but never after the child reaches 19 years and 6 months. The order ends on the last day of a named month, whatever the actual graduation date.
An agreement between the parents can set an amount different from the formula, as long as the same findings are made. Support past 18 beyond the high school rule is enforceable where the parents agreed to it, in the judgment, by approving it, in a signed writing, or on the record.
Reviews by the Friend of the Court. After a judgment, the Friend of the Court reviews a support order when either party asks in writing, and decides within 14 days whether it is due for review. It does not have to act on more than 1 request from a party every 36 months, and it reviews orders for a child on public assistance at least once every 36 months.
The formula itself, with its income definitions and tables, is published by the State Friend of the Court Bureau rather than written into the statute. How it applies to a particular household are questions for a licensed Michigan attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- MCL 552.605 — Child support order; deviation from formula; agreement
- MCL 552.605b — Child support after 18 years of age
- MCL 552.517 — Review of child support order after final judgment
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.