Welcome back, and thanks for joining us for this discussion on Oakland County’s Friend of the Court. So far we’ve discussed what they are, and what a person could expect when first dealing with them. Moving on, we’re going to look at some of the roles they play and the purposes they serve, many of which aren’t well known.
Enforcement:
Friend of the Court is responsible for enforcing the orders of the family court with regard to domestic relations cases, and also for children who may potentially become wards of the state.
So for example, if your ex was refusing to comply with parenting time order put in place by the court for your child custody agreement, you would normally meet with someone from Friend of the Court. They would then meet with your ex and try to determine what the problem is and how it can be rectified to best benefit the child. Almost always, complying with court orders is mandatory. It is not merely a suggestion.
They would also be in charge of enforcing many services that the family court has ordered, like family support actions and paternity actions.
Investigation:
This is also sometimes known as evaluation. It refers to Friend of the Court’s duty to gather information on behalf of the court that would affect final decisions the court makes with regards to issues like child custody agreements, parenting time arrangements, and child support.
Although child support collection is technically the job of the Office of Child Support here in Michigan, Friend of the Court assists in the collection of child support payments, enforcement of payments, and even in instances where modification is needed.
Dispute Resolution:
Another aspect of Friend of the Court’s duties is to offer dispute resolution services to families, either during or after divorces, and in situations where the children were born out of wedlock. This is sometimes done directly through Friend of the Court, and sometimes indirectly through mediation programs like the Community Dispute Resolution Program.
This allows parents to address issues like custody arrangements, parenting time, visitation and other child related matters without having to go to court. If you have any questions about Friend of the Court, you can go to their webpage, which explains a good deal more about what they do and what services they provide. If you plan to visit the Oakland County Friend of the Court office, note that they are NOT located in the courthouse at 1200 Telegraph Road in Pontiac. They are located several miles from the courthouse at 230 Elizabeth Lake Rd, Pontiac, MI 48341. Their direct telephone number is (248) 858-0424.
However, if you have questions or concerns regarding your divorce, or how you and your ex plan to address the issues of custody, visitation or child support, our skilled family law attorneys are here to help. The Kronzek Firm attorneys have handled thousands of cases over the decades. We are available 24/7 at (248) 479-6200, and our family law attorneys can answer all of your questions. We’re here to help you figure out a solution that works for your family.