Procedures to follow with the Montcalm County FOC

Party's Motion to Modify Support

A party may file a "Motion to Change the Support Order" and "Uniform Child Support Order (FOC 10/52)".  Forms and instructions for filing are provided on this website or can be picked up at the office.  Once the motion has been completed correctly and received by the FOC office, plus all fees are paid, a hearing date will be scheduled and the parties notified. 

You do not need an attorney to file this type of motion, but, if you have retained an attorney (for any reason) you CANNOT file this motion on your own.  You MUST contact your attorney and have him/her do the filing.

At the hearing the FOC will change the required monthly support payment if the difference between the current support amount and the amount determined by the standard child support formula (using the parties' most recent income data) is at least 10 percent or $25 per month, whichever is less.  If the difference between the current support amount and the current formula amount is less than that minimum threshold, the FOC is not required to request a change.

Modification of Child Support Order

The FOC may review child support orders automatically every 36 months if the child or one of the parents is receiving public assistance.  In other cases, the FOC will conduct a review on written request by a party, but not more often than every 36 months.  Simply notifying the FOC that one parent's financial situation has changed cannot automatically change the ordered support amount.