By David R. Dawson | Published March 15, 2026 | Posted in Family Law | Tagged Tags: child support, impute income |
What Happens if a Child Support Payer Is Underemployed?
Child support obligations in Michigan are grounded not just in what a parent currently earns, but in what they are reasonably able to earn. The law recognizes that children are entitled to ongoing support, regardless of the paying parent’s present employment status. There are court remedies available when a parent who owes child support is Read More
Read MoreKey 2025 Updates to the Michigan Child Support Formula
The Michigan Child Support Formula is a device that determines the amount of financial support that non-custodial parents must pay following divorce or separation. This formula is primarily based on each parents’ earnings. It further considers expenses such as childcare, health insurance and uninsured medical costs, as well as the amount of time children spend Read More
Read MoreCosts Not Covered by Child Support, and How to Deal With Them
Child support payments are designed to cover the basic necessities for children, such as food, housing, and clothing. However, there are many other costs associated with raising a child, potentially creating financial challenges. Parents going through divorce need to understand these costs and how to provide for managing them. The following are significant categories of Read More
Read MoreHow Can Divorced Parents Deal With College Costs?
In Michigan, court-ordered child support order generally covers the needs of a child until they reach the age of 18, or 19.5 if the child is still attending high school full-time. It generally does not extend to post-secondary education expenses, such as college tuition and related costs. Despite this, divorcing parents have options to share Read More
Read MoreHow Can You Enforce a Child Support Order?
Child support is one of the few issues that cannot be contested in a divorce. Awards of support are calculated according to a statutory formula that takes multiple factors into account, including the parents’ incomes and expenses, the number of children supported and the custody and parenting time arrangements. But child support disputes can and Read More
Read MoreWho Pays For a Child’s College Expenses if the Parents Have Divorced?
When determining child support to be paid following a divorce, one of the significant questions that arises is how a child’s college expenses will be covered. Under Michigan law, both parents must share in the financial support of their child, but child support terminates when a child reaches the age of 18 or completes high Read More
Read MoreOptions for Enforcing Child Support Orders in Michigan
Ensuring that minor children have adequate care and support after a divorce or separation is a primary function of the Michigan family courts. Unfortunately, some parents fail to meet their child-support obligations by not paying in full or on time. When this happens, the parent with primary custody of the child has several tools available Read More
Read MoreWhat is the Role of the “Friend of the Court” in a Michigan Divorce?
Disputes over child support, custody and parenting time frequently arise in divorce cases. In Michigan, when parents cannot reach an agreement regarding these issues, the judge deciding them may get assistance from a “friend of the court” (FOC), a court-appointed official who can play a pivotal role in a divorce case. The duties of the Read More
Read MoreMeeting the Challenges of a High-Net-Worth Divorce
Divorce can be difficult in any circumstances and even more so where a couple has considerable wealth. A high-net-worth divorce — one in which assets of more than $1 million are at stake — presents complex issues relating to property division and spousal support. If you are in this situation, an attorney who is experienced Read More
Read MoreWhat is the Income Shares Model for Child Support?
Child support after divorce was once calculated simply as a percentage of the paying parent’s income. However, this method failed to take into account the resources of the other parent that could be applied for the children’s benefit. As a result, most states, including Michigan, now follow the “income shares” model, which recognizes that both Read More
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