Child support in Michigan
Michigan uses the income-shares model: both parents' incomes count, and each parent pays a share of the child's support. To open a case, contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Office of Child Support.
Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026. · Free letters and checklist ↓
How much child support in Michigan?
Support is figured with the Michigan Child Support Formula. Each parent's monthly net income is used to set a base support amount for the children, adjusted for the number of overnights each parent has. Child care, health insurance premiums and ordinary medical costs are added and shared by the parents' share of income.
Law: MCL 552.519 (formula); 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual, effective January 1, 2025
We don't estimate Michigan's amount here: its formula uses both parents' incomes and other facts, and a home-made number could mislead you. The official tool gives the real starting number:
Open a child support case in Michigan
- Phone
- MiSDU payments: 877-543-2660
- Apply
- Apply online
- How to open a case
Apply for child support services online through MiChildSupport. If you get cash assistance, Medicaid or food assistance, MDHHS may refer your case. You can also ask the circuit court (Friend of the Court) for support in a divorce, custody or paternity case.
- Yearly fee
Michigan assesses the $35 federal annual fee on eligible cases (at least $550 paid to the custodial parent in the federal fiscal year) but has paid it from state funds since fiscal year 2011 instead of taking it from the parent. Separately, a parent who pays support through the Friend of the Court or MiSDU owes a statutory fee of $3.50 a month.
Law: MDHHS IV-D Manual 5.70
- Paternity (legal fatherhood)
Unmarried parents can establish parentage by both signing an Affidavit (acknowledgment) of Parentage, notarized or witnessed by an authorized worker such as hospital, Friend of the Court or MDHHS staff. It can be signed any time during the child's life. If parentage is disputed, it can be decided in a court paternity case, where genetic testing can be ordered.
Law: MCL 722.1003
Michigan child support by topic
How support is calculated in Michigan
The model, the percentages or the official calculator, and low-income rules.
Change child support in Michigan
When you can ask, how to ask, and a review letter.
Collect unpaid support in Michigan
Collection tools, interest and license rules, and a letter.
When support ends in Michigan
The end age, high school and disability rules.
How child support is figured in Michigan
- Model
- Income shares
- How it works
Support is figured with the Michigan Child Support Formula. Each parent's monthly net income is used to set a base support amount for the children, adjusted for the number of overnights each parent has. Child care, health insurance premiums and ordinary medical costs are added and shared by the parents' share of income.
- Low income
If a parent's monthly net income is at or below the Low Income Threshold ($1,255 in the 2025 supplement), that parent's base support is 10% of their net income.
Law: 2025 MCSF §3.02(C); 2025 Supplement §2.01
- Official calculator
- Official Michigan child support calculator
- Health insurance and medical costs
A parent can be ordered to provide health care coverage if it is accessible and costs that parent no more than 6% of gross income (the added cost of covering the children). Parents with net income below 133% of the poverty level, or whose child has Medicaid based on that parent's income, generally should not be ordered to pay for coverage.
Law: 2025 MCSF §3.05(A)
Law: MCL 552.519 (formula); 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual, effective January 1, 2025
Change a child support order in Michigan
- When a change is allowed
Either parent can ask the Friend of the Court in writing for a review; the office does not have to act on more than one request from a parent every 36 months, but it also reviews when there are reasonable grounds such as changed income, custody or health coverage. After a review, the Friend of the Court must ask the court to change the order if the new amount differs from the current order by more than 10% or $50 a month, whichever is greater. You can also file your own motion at any time.
Law: MCL 552.517; 2025 MCSF §4.05
- How to ask
Request a Friend of the Court review, or file a Motion Regarding Support (FOC 50) with the circuit court. If you both agree, file the motion with a Uniform Child Support Order (FOC 10), plus a Support Deviation Addendum (FOC 10d) if the amount differs from the formula.
Can I ask for a change? Check your situation
Collect unpaid child support in Michigan
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it:
- Collection tools
- Income withholding
- Tax refund intercept
- Freezing or seizing bank accounts
- Occupational, recreational and sporting license suspension
- Driver's license suspension (only after an ability-to-pay finding)
- Passport denial
- Liens
- Credit reporting
- Civil contempt (show cause)
- Felony charges in serious cases
- License suspension
Arrears greater than 2 months of support, and income withholding not working. For a driver's license, the court must also find the parent able to pay but willfully not paying, and that no other sanction would work.
Law: MCL 552.628
- Contempt of court
If income withholding does not work, the parent receiving support or the Friend of the Court can start a civil contempt (show cause) proceeding. If the paying parent does not come to the hearing, the court can issue a bench warrant.
Law: MCL 552.631
- Interest on unpaid support
No automatic interest. If the court finds a parent willfully failed to pay, it may order a surcharge on past-due support twice a year (January 1 and July 1) at 1% plus the average 5-year Treasury note rate; it is not charged in a cycle when the parent paid 90% or more of the support due.
Law: MCL 552.603a
Law: MCL 552.628; MCL 552.631; Support and Parenting Time Enforcement Act, MCL 552.601 and following
When child support ends in Michigan
- Support ends
18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support
- Exceptions
Support after 18 beyond this is enforceable only if the parents agreed to it. The order must name the last month of support.
Law: MCL 552.605b(5)
When does support end? Check your situation
Free help in Michigan
Official self-help
Free letters and checklist
Ask the agency to review (change) your order
A letter to the child support agency asking for a review and adjustment.
Ask the agency to collect unpaid support
A letter asking the agency to enforce the order and collect what is past due.
Checklist: what to bring to open a case
IDs, birth certificates, the other parent's details and your papers, with Michigan's agency contact.
Good to know in Michigan
- In Michigan, the Friend of the Court office in each county handles reviews and enforcement of support orders (MCL 552.517).
- Michigan does not take the $35 federal annual fee from parents; the state pays it (MDHHS IV-D Manual 5.70).
- A parent who owes arrears can ask the court for a payment plan or discharge of arrears with form FOC 109 (MDHHS Resource Guide).
Changes in 2024–2026
The 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula took effect January 1, 2025. Changes include sharing expenses by each parent's actual share of income (removing the 10% minimum and 90% maximum), a deduction for costs related to a parent's conviction or incarceration, child care presumed until the month the child turns 13, and a clarified 10%-or-$50 threshold for modification.
Federal rules in every state
- Applying. If you don't get TANF, Medicaid or foster care help, a state may charge an application fee of up to $25 to open a child support case. Law: 42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B)(i)
- Yearly fee. If you never got TANF and the agency collected at least $550 for you in a year, the state charges a $35 yearly fee. It can come out of your support, but never out of the first $550. Law: 42 U.S.C. 654(6)(B)(ii)
- Review every 3 years. If your case is with the child support agency, either parent can ask it to review the order every 3 years and adjust it to the guidelines. Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(10)(A); 45 CFR 303.8
- Past-due support. Each unpaid payment becomes a judgment on the day it is due. It can't be lowered later, except back to the date the other parent got notice of a request to change the order. Law: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9)
- Tax refunds. The federal government can take a federal tax refund to pay past-due child support. Law: 42 U.S.C. 664
- Passports. A parent who owes more than $2,500 in past-due support can be refused a passport. Law: 42 U.S.C. 652(k)
- Pay withholding limit. For support, up to 50% of take-home pay can be withheld if the parent supports another spouse or child, or 60% if not. It is 55% or 65% when support is more than 12 weeks behind. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)
- How long support lasts. How long support lasts follows the law of the state that made the order, even if you move. Law: 28 U.S.C. 1738B(h)(2)
Questions about child support in Michigan
How is child support calculated in Michigan?
Support is figured with the Michigan Child Support Formula. Each parent's monthly net income is used to set a base support amount for the children, adjusted for the number of overnights each parent has. Child care, health insurance premiums and ordinary medical costs are added and shared by the parents' share of income.
Is there an official child support calculator for Michigan?
What if the paying parent has a low income in Michigan?
If a parent's monthly net income is at or below the Low Income Threshold ($1,255 in the 2025 supplement), that parent's base support is 10% of their net income.
How do I apply for child support in Michigan?
Apply for child support services online through MiChildSupport. If you get cash assistance, Medicaid or food assistance, MDHHS may refer your case. You can also ask the circuit court (Friend of the Court) for support in a divorce, custody or paternity case.
Is there a yearly fee for child support services in Michigan?
Michigan assesses the $35 federal annual fee on eligible cases (at least $550 paid to the custodial parent in the federal fiscal year) but has paid it from state funds since fiscal year 2011 instead of taking it from the parent. Separately, a parent who pays support through the Friend of the Court or MiSDU owes a statutory fee of $3.50 a month.
When can child support be changed in Michigan?
Either parent can ask the Friend of the Court in writing for a review; the office does not have to act on more than one request from a parent every 36 months, but it also reviews when there are reasonable grounds such as changed income, custody or health coverage. After a review, the Friend of the Court must ask the court to change the order if the new amount differs from the current order by more than 10% or $50 a month, whichever is greater. You can also file your own motion at any time.
How do I ask to change child support in Michigan?
Request a Friend of the Court review, or file a Motion Regarding Support (FOC 50) with the circuit court. If you both agree, file the motion with a Uniform Child Support Order (FOC 10), plus a Support Deviation Addendum (FOC 10d) if the amount differs from the formula.
What happens if child support is not paid in Michigan?
Arrears means support that is past due. The child support agency can use these tools to collect it: Income withholding; Tax refund intercept; Freezing or seizing bank accounts; Occupational, recreational and sporting license suspension; Driver's license suspension (only after an ability-to-pay finding); Passport denial; Liens; Credit reporting; Civil contempt (show cause); Felony charges in serious cases.
Can a license be suspended for unpaid child support in Michigan?
Arrears greater than 2 months of support, and income withholding not working. For a driver's license, the court must also find the parent able to pay but willfully not paying, and that no other sanction would work.
Can a parent be held in contempt for not paying in Michigan?
If income withholding does not work, the parent receiving support or the Friend of the Court can start a civil contempt (show cause) proceeding. If the paying parent does not come to the hearing, the court can issue a bench warrant.
Is there interest on unpaid child support in Michigan?
No automatic interest. If the court finds a parent willfully failed to pay, it may order a surcharge on past-due support twice a year (January 1 and July 1) at 1% plus the average 5-year Treasury note rate; it is not charged in a cycle when the parent paid 90% or more of the support due.
When does child support end in Michigan?
18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support
Does child support continue while my child finishes high school in Michigan?
18, or up to 19 years and 6 months if the child is attending high school full time with a reasonable expectation of graduating and lives full time with the parent receiving support
Can child support continue past the usual age in Michigan?
Support after 18 beyond this is enforceable only if the parents agreed to it. The order must name the last month of support.
How is paternity established in Michigan?
Unmarried parents can establish parentage by both signing an Affidavit (acknowledgment) of Parentage, notarized or witnessed by an authorized worker such as hospital, Friend of the Court or MDHHS staff. It can be signed any time during the child's life. If parentage is disputed, it can be decided in a court paternity case, where genetic testing can be ordered.
Who pays for the child's health insurance in Michigan?
A parent can be ordered to provide health care coverage if it is accessible and costs that parent no more than 6% of gross income (the added cost of covering the children). Parents with net income below 133% of the poverty level, or whose child has Medicaid based on that parent's income, generally should not be ordered to pay for coverage.
More help on our sister sites
Sources
- 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual
- 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Supplement
- MCL 552.517 Review of support orders
- MCL 552.605b Support after 18
- MCL 552.603a Surcharge
- MCL 552.628 License suspension
- Michigan IV-D Child Support Manual 5.70 Fees
- MDHHS Child Support Resource Guide
- MCL 722.1003 Acknowledgment of parentage
- MCL 552.631 Civil contempt
- MDHHS Child Support in Michigan: Facts & Figures (FY2025)
Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.
- State plan requirements: application fee, annual fee, safeguards, 42 U.S.C. 654
- Required state laws: arrears as judgments, review every 3 years, UIFSA, 42 U.S.C. 666
- Federal tax refund offset, 42 U.S.C. 664
- Passport denial for child support arrears, 42 U.S.C. 652(k)
- Garnishment limits for support orders, 15 U.S.C. 1673(b)
- Full faith and credit for child support orders, 28 U.S.C. 1738B
- Office of Child Support Enforcement (federal)