Sec. 7.
(1) For a friend of the court case, if income withholding is not immediately effective and the arrearage under a support order reaches the arrearage amount that requires the initiation of 1 or more support enforcement measures as provided in section 11 of the friend of the court act, MCL 552.511, or, if the amount of income withholding is administratively adjusted for arrears under section 17e of the friend of the court act, MCL 552.517e, the office of the friend of the court immediately shall send notice of the arrearage to the payer by ordinary mail to his or her last known address. The notice to the payer shall contain the following information:
(a) The amount of the arrearage.
(b) One or both of the following:
(i) That the payer's income is subject to income withholding and the amount to be withheld.
(ii) That the payer's income withholding is being administratively adjusted and the amount of the adjustment.
(c) That income withholding will be applied to current and subsequent employers and periods of employment and other sources of income.
(d) That the order of income withholding is effective and notice to withhold income will be sent to the payer's source of income.
(e) That the payer may request a hearing under subsection (3) in writing within 21 days after the date of the notice to contest the withholding, but only on the grounds that the withholding is not proper because of a mistake of fact concerning the amount of current or overdue support or the identity of the payer, and if the notice includes an administrative adjustment of arrears, that the administrative adjustment will cause an unjust or inappropriate result.
(f) That if the hearing is held before a referee, the payer has a right to a de novo hearing before a circuit court judge.
(g) The place where a request for hearing under subsection (3) shall be filed.
(h) That if the payer believes that the amount of support should be modified due to a change in circumstances, the payer may file a petition with the court for modification of the support order.
(2) A payer to whom notice is sent under subsection (1), within 21 days after the date on which the notice was sent, may request a hearing by filing a request for hearing as provided in the notice and serving a copy on the other party. A hearing concerning implementation of income withholding that was not previously effective may be requested only on the grounds that the withholding is not proper because of a mistake of fact concerning the amount of current or overdue support or the identity of the payer.
(3) If a payer requests a hearing under subsection (2), the notice and request shall be filed with the court clerk as a motion contesting the proposed action and a referee or circuit judge shall hold a hearing within 14 days after the date of the request. If at the hearing the payer establishes that the withholding is not proper because of a mistake of fact concerning the amount of current or overdue support or the identity of the payer, or that periodic implementation of an administrative adjustment of the amount of the periodic payment of arrears to be withheld will cause an unjust or inappropriate result, the income withholding shall be modified or rescinded according to the guidelines established under section 19 of the friend of the court act, MCL 552.519.
(4) If the hearing provided under subsection (3) is held before a referee, either party may request a de novo hearing as provided in section 7 of the friend of the court act, MCL 552.507.
(5) If a petition for modification of the support order is filed by or on behalf of a payer and is pending at the date scheduled for a hearing under subsection (3), the court may consolidate the hearing under subsection (3) and a hearing on the petition for modification.
(6) All proceedings under this section shall be completed within 45 days after the date that notice was sent under subsection (1), unless otherwise permitted by the court upon a showing of good cause.
(7) The friend of the court office may review the objection administratively before a hearing is held before a referee or judge. If the friend of the court office reviews the objection administratively, either party may object and a hearing shall be held before a referee or judge.
History: 1982, Act 295, Eff. July 1, 1983 ;-- Am. 1985, Act 210, Eff. Mar. 1, 1986 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 334, Imd. Eff. Aug. 10, 1998 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 572, Eff. Dec. 1, 2002 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 206, Eff. Feb. 28, 2005 ;-- Am. 2009, Act 193, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 2009