How Will New Child Support Laws Effect Michigan Parents?

How Will New Child Support Laws Effect Michigan Parents?

2015 is officially upon us and every New Year brings about many changes. In Michigan those changes include several new laws that will have a direct impact on the state’s child support system and how things operate in the future. The Michigan Child Support System/Program is a vast operation which collects at least a billion dollars in child support every year.

Like any government program, the Child Support Program has its’ imperfections, that is why these new laws have been enacted to try and streamline and improve the system. It is the hope of the Michigan Child Support director that the modifications to the laws will make the child support process easier for parties to navigate and will simplifying the process of establishing paternity. The ultimate goal of the new legislation is to obtain timely child support payments from child support payors and reduce the amount of overdue payments throughout Michigan, including, but not limited to, in Macomb County.

There are several changes in child support laws that state officials hope will make a significant difference. Included among the changes are:

• • A plan to consolidate several child support provisions into one legal section in order to help save time for law enforcement officers and the courts.
  • The courts will be allowed to determine the costs of enforcing spousal support when it is not reimbursable via federal programs.

Allowing prosecutors to go after parents who do not make payments and who are aware they are noncompliant.

Additionally, the process for establishing paternity should also be simplified as a result of several new changes in 2015:

• The court no longer has to make a ruling in regards to establishing genetics when a positive genetic test has already conclusively determined paternity.
• Courts will now have the power to consider the child’s best interest when they decide to revoke parental rights.
• Parents will are now allowed to petition the court to show that a biological father is not really the child’s parent.

These are just a few of the many significant changes that have taken effect in 2015. If you would like additional information, please click here to see all of the new child support laws. While the goal of the new laws is to help simplify the child support process, the changes could initially create confusion for child support payor and payees alike.

As such, if you have questions or concerns regarding your situation in Macomb County, then please contact the family law attorneys at Iafrate & Salassa. We offer initial no-cost consultations and cost effective resolutions. We have experience in family law and we can help you with your child support issues. Contact us by clicking here or give us a call at (586) 263-1600.