Michigan Laws 552.644 – Civil contempt proceeding to resolve dispute concerning parenting time; commencement by office of friend of court; notice; allegations; finding of violation; powers of court; “good cause” defined
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Terms Used In Michigan Laws 552.644
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Occupational license: means a certificate, registration, or license issued by a state department, bureau, or agency that has regulatory authority over an individual that allows an individual to legally engage in a regulated occupation or that allows the individual to use a specific title in the practice of an occupation, profession, or vocation. See Michigan Laws 552.602
- Office of the friend of the court: means an agency created in section 3 of the friend of the court act, MCL 552. See Michigan Laws 552.602
- Payer: means an individual who is ordered by the circuit court to pay support. See Michigan Laws 552.602
- Recreational or sporting license: means a hunting, fishing, or fur harvester's license issued under the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324. See Michigan Laws 552.602
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
- Support: means all of the following:
(i) The payment of money for a child or a spouse ordered by the circuit court, whether the order is embodied in an interim, temporary, permanent, or modified order or judgment. See Michigan Laws 552.602
(1) If the office of the friend of the court determines that a procedure for resolving a parenting time dispute authorized under section 41 other than a civil contempt proceeding is unsuccessful in resolving the parenting time dispute, the office of the friend of the court shall commence a civil contempt proceeding to resolve the dispute as provided by the supreme court rule. The contempt proceeding notice shall include, either in the notice or by reference to another document attached to the notice, a statement of the allegations upon which the dispute is based and at least all of the following:
(a) A list of each possible sanction if the parent is found in contempt.
(b) The right of the parent to a hearing on a proposed modification of parenting time if requested within 21 days after the date of the notice, as provided in section 45.
(2) If the court finds that either parent has violated a parenting time order without good cause, the court shall find that parent in contempt and may do 1 or more of the following:
(a) Require additional terms and conditions consistent with the court’s parenting time order.
(b) After notice to both parties and a hearing, if requested by a party, on a proposed modification of parenting time, modify the parenting time order to meet the best interests of the child.
(c) Order that makeup parenting time be provided for the wrongfully denied parent to take the place of wrongfully denied parenting time.
(d) Order the parent to pay a fine of not more than $100.00.
(e) Commit the parent to the county jail or an alternative to jail.
(f) Commit the parent to the county jail or an alternative to jail with the privilege of leaving the jail or other place of detention during the hours the court determines necessary, and under the supervision the court considers necessary, for the purpose of allowing the parent to go to and return from his or her place of employment.
(g) If the parent holds an occupational license, driver’s license, or recreational or sporting license, condition the suspension of the license, or any combination of the licenses, upon noncompliance with an order for makeup and ongoing parenting time.
(h) If available within the court’s jurisdiction, order the parent to participate in a community corrections program established as provided in the community corrections act, 1988 PA 511, MCL 791.401 to 791.414.
(i) Place the parent under the supervision of the office for a term fixed by the court with reasonable conditions, including 1 or more of the following:
(i) Participating in a parenting program.
(ii) Participating in drug or alcohol counseling.
(iii) Participating in a work program.
(iv) Seeking employment.
(v) Participating in other counseling.
(vi) Continuing compliance with a current support or parenting time order.
(vii) Entering into and compliance with an arrearage payment plan.
(viii) Facilitating makeup parenting time.
(3) The court shall state on the record the reason the court is not ordering a sanction listed in subsection (2). For the purpose of subsection (2), “good cause” includes, but is not limited to, consideration of the safety of a child or party who is governed by the parenting time order.
(4) A commitment under subsection (2)(e) or (f) shall not exceed 45 days for the first finding of contempt or 90 days for each subsequent finding of contempt. A parent committed under subsection (2)(e) or (f) shall be released if the court has reasonable cause to believe that the parent will comply with the parenting time order.
(5) If a parent fails to appear in response to a contempt proceeding, the court may issue a bench warrant requiring that the parent be brought before the court without unnecessary delay to show cause why the parent should not be held in contempt. Except for good cause shown on the record, the court shall further order the parent to pay the costs of the hearing, the issuance of the warrant, the arrest, and any later hearings, which costs shall be transmitted to the county treasurer for distribution as provided in section 31. If the hearing cannot be held immediately after the parent’s arrest, the parent may be released if a bond in the amount of the fines, costs, and sanctions imposed under this section and any additional amount the court determines is necessary to secure the parent’s appearance is deposited with the court.
(6) If the court finds that a party to a parenting time dispute has acted in bad faith, the court shall order the party to pay a sanction of not more than $250.00 for the first time the party is found to have acted in bad faith, not more than $500.00 for the second time, and not more than $1,000.00 for the third or a subsequent time. A sanction ordered under this subsection shall be deposited in the friend of the court fund created in section 2530 of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.2530, and shall be used to fund services that are not title IV-D services.
(7) A fine ordered under subsection (2), costs ordered under subsection (5), or a sanction ordered under subsection (6) is a judgment at the time the order is entered.
(8) If the court finds that a party to a parenting time dispute has acted in bad faith, the court shall order the party to pay the other party’s costs.
(9) If the court issues a bench warrant under this section, the court may enter an order that a law enforcement agency render any vehicle owned by the payer temporarily inoperable, by booting or another similar method, subject to release on deposit of an appropriate bond.