FRIEND OF THE COURT ACT
Act 294 of 1982
552.502 Definitions; A to I.
Sec. 2.
As used in this act:
(a) "Alternative dispute resolution" means a process established under section 13 by which the parties are assisted in voluntarily formulating an agreement to resolve a dispute concerning child custody or parenting time that arises from a domestic relations matter.
(b) "Bureau" means the state friend of the court bureau created in section 19.
(c) "Centralizing enforcement" means the process authorized under section 10 of the office of child support act, 1971 PA 174, MCL 400.240.
(d) "Chief judge" means the following:
(i) The circuit judge in a judicial circuit having only 1 circuit judge.
(ii) The chief judge of the circuit court in a judicial circuit having 2 or more circuit judges.
(e) "Citizen advisory committee" means a citizen friend of the court advisory committee established as provided in section 4.
(f) "Consumer reporting agency" means a person that, for monetary fees or dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties, and that uses any means or facility of interstate commerce for the purpose of preparing or furnishing consumer reports. As used in this subdivision, "consumer report" means that term as defined in section 603 of the fair credit reporting act, 15 USC 1681a.
(g) "County board" means the county board of commissioners in the county served by the office. If a judicial circuit includes more than 1 county, action required to be taken by the county board means action by the county boards of commissioners for all counties composing that circuit.
(h) "Court" means the circuit court.
(i) "Current employment" means employment within 1 year before a friend of the court request for information.
(j) "Custody or parenting time order violation" means an individual's act or failure to act that interferes with a parent's right to interact with his or her child in the time, place, and manner established in the order that governs custody or parenting time between the parent and the child and to which the individual accused of interfering is subject.
(k) "De novo hearing" means a new judicial consideration of a matter previously heard by a referee.
(l) "Department" means the department of health and human services.
(m) "Domestic relations matter" means a circuit court proceeding as to child custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support, that arises out of litigation under a statute of this state, including, but not limited to, the following:
(i) 1846 RS 84, MCL 552.1 to 552.45.
(ii) The family support act, 1966 PA 138, MCL 552.451 to 552.459.
(iii) The child custody act of 1970, 1970 PA 91, MCL 722.21 to 722.31.
(iv) 1968 PA 293, MCL 722.1 to 722.6.
(v) The paternity act, 1956 PA 205, MCL 722.711 to 722.730.
(vi) The revised uniform reciprocal enforcement of support act, 1952 PA 8, MCL 780.151 to 780.183.
(vii) The uniform interstate family support act, 2015 PA 255, MCL 552.2101 to 552.2905.
(n) "Friend of the court" means the person serving under section 21(1) or appointed under section 23 as the head of the office of the friend of the court.
(o) "Friend of the court case" means a domestic relations matter that an office establishes as a friend of the court case as required under section 5a.
(p) "Health care coverage" means a fee for service, health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, or other type of private health care coverage or public health care coverage.
(q) "Income" means that term as defined in section 2 of the support and parenting time enforcement act, MCL 552.602.
History: 1982, Act 294, Eff. July 1, 1983 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 366, Eff. Jan. 1, 1997 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 63, Eff. Aug. 10, 1998 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 571, Eff. June 1, 2003 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 210, Eff. Oct. 1, 2004 ;-- Am. 2009, Act 233, Imd. Eff. Jan. 8, 2010 ;-- Am. 2015, Act 253, Eff. Jan. 1, 2016 ;-- Am. 2019, Act 27, Imd. Eff. June 20, 2019
PopularName Notes:
Friend of the Court
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
9
cases (
2 in the last 5 years), 1999–2023 · leading case:
Vittiglio v. Vittiglio, 297 Mich. App. 391 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
Vittiglio v. Vittiglio, 297 Mich. App. 391 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
· cites it 4× “Plaintiff first argues on appeal that the trial court erred by finding the audiorecorded settlement agreement binding, arguing that although mediation may culminate in a settlement agreement that will be binding if “acknowledged by the parties on an audio or video recording,”…”
Denhof v. Challa, 876 N.W.2d 266 (Mich. Ct. App. 2015).
“1 Under MCL 552.502(n), the “ ‘[flriend of the court’ means the person serving .”
Visser v. Visser, 299 Mich. App. 12 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
· cites it 6× “] Thus, MCL 552.502(m) enumerates a number of statutory provisions, litigation arising out of which will be considered “domestic relations matters.”
20221122_C361247_42_361247.Opn.Ord.Pdf (Mich. Ct. App. 2022).
“” MCL 552.502(k). -2- a new opportunity to offer the same evidence to the court as was presented to the referee and to supplement that evidence with evidence that could not have been presented to the referee.”
Mark J Kollar v. Briana Sparks (Mich. Ct. App. 2023).
“MCL 552.502(m); MCL 552.505(1)(g). Accordingly, Sattler’s skills, training, and experience in these areas were relevant to determine a fact in issue—the child’s best interests—using the best- interest factors stated under MCL 722.”
Cynthia Neal Vittiglio v. Thomas Anthony Vittiglio (Mich. 2013).
“216, because only cases “as to child custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support,” as set forth in MCL 552.502(m), constitute “domestic relations cases” for purposes of this rule.”
Cynthia Neal Vittiglio v. Thomas Anthony Vittiglio (Mich. 2013).
“216, because only cases “as to child custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support,” as set forth in MCL 552.502(m), constitute “domestic relations cases” for purposes of this rule.”
Cynthia Neal Vittiglio v. Thomas Anthony Vittiglio (Mich. 2013).
“216, because only cases “as to child custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support,” as set forth in MCL 552.502(m), constitute “domestic relations cases” for purposes of this rule.”
In re Complaint Against Runco, 595 N.W.2d 843 (Mich. 1999).
“*1270 (2) A court may submit to mediation any contested issue in a domestic relations case as defined in the Friend of the Court act (MCL 552.502[g]; MSA 25.176[2][g]), including post-judgment matters.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.502(k) — 1 case
20221122_C361247_42_361247.Opn.Ord.Pdf (Mich. Ct. App. 2022).
“” MCL 552.502(k). -2- a new opportunity to offer the same evidence to the court as was presented to the referee and to supplement that evidence with evidence that could not have been presented to the referee.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.502(l) — 1 case
Vittiglio v. Vittiglio, 297 Mich. App. 391 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
“Plaintiff first argues on appeal that the trial court erred by finding the audiorecorded settlement agreement binding, arguing that although mediation may culminate in a settlement agreement that will be binding if “acknowledged by the parties on an audio or video recording,”…”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.502(m) — 6 cases
Vittiglio v. Vittiglio, 297 Mich. App. 391 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
“Plaintiff first argues on appeal that the trial court erred by finding the audiorecorded settlement agreement binding, arguing that although mediation may culminate in a settlement agreement that will be binding if “acknowledged by the parties on an audio or video recording,”…”
Visser v. Visser, 299 Mich. App. 12 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
“] Thus, MCL 552.502(m) enumerates a number of statutory provisions, litigation arising out of which will be considered “domestic relations matters.”
Mark J Kollar v. Briana Sparks (Mich. Ct. App. 2023).
“MCL 552.502(m); MCL 552.505(1)(g). Accordingly, Sattler’s skills, training, and experience in these areas were relevant to determine a fact in issue—the child’s best interests—using the best- interest factors stated under MCL 722.”
Cynthia Neal Vittiglio v. Thomas Anthony Vittiglio (Mich. 2013).
“216, because only cases “as to child custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support,” as set forth in MCL 552.502(m), constitute “domestic relations cases” for purposes of this rule.”
Cynthia Neal Vittiglio v. Thomas Anthony Vittiglio (Mich. 2013).
“216, because only cases “as to child custody, parenting time, child support, or spousal support,” as set forth in MCL 552.502(m), constitute “domestic relations cases” for purposes of this rule.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.502(m)(i) — 2 cases
Vittiglio v. Vittiglio, 297 Mich. App. 391 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
“Plaintiff first argues on appeal that the trial court erred by finding the audiorecorded settlement agreement binding, arguing that although mediation may culminate in a settlement agreement that will be binding if “acknowledged by the parties on an audio or video recording,”…”
Visser v. Visser, 299 Mich. App. 12 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).
“] Thus, MCL 552.502(m) enumerates a number of statutory provisions, litigation arising out of which will be considered “domestic relations matters.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.502(n) — 1 case
Denhof v. Challa, 876 N.W.2d 266 (Mich. Ct. App. 2015).
“1 Under MCL 552.502(n), the “ ‘[flriend of the court’ means the person serving .”
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