Family Support Division

The prosecuting attorney is charged by law with the responsibility to establish court orders which provide for:

• The payment of support by a non-custodial parent to the custodial parent
• The establishment of paternity and payment of support of a child born out of wedlock
• The repayment to the state for confinement expenses related to pregnancy and birth of a child
• The establishment of support orders across state lines

A majority of child support referrals are made to the Prosecutor's Office by the Department of Human Services (DHS). In many cases DHS provides financial and/or other governmental assistance and as such DHS has a vested interest in determining and assuring that non-custodial parents provide support for their children, and/or reimbursement to the state and/or federal government for costs incurred on behalf of their children, as required by Title IV-D of the Federal Social Security Act.

Much of the work on child support referrals, including investigation, pleading preparation, and case preparation is done through the prosecutor's office via its Family Support Specialist, Ms. Kara J. Kent. Please call Kara at 989-731-7439, if you have any questions regarding the establishment of paternity or child support.

The prosecutor's office does not enforce court orders already established. If you are seeking enforcement of an existing order, please contact the Friend of the Court office in the county where the case was decided.