(1) If a court orders the payment of child support under this or another act of the state, this section applies to that order.
  (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the court shall order child support in an amount determined by application of the child support formula developed by the state friend of the court bureau as required in section 19 of the friend of the court act, MCL 552.519. The court may enter an order that deviates from the formula if the court determines from the facts of the case that application of the child support formula would be unjust or inappropriate and sets forth in writing or on the record all of the following:

Terms Used In Michigan Laws 552.605

  • Friend of the court act: means the friend of the court act, 1982 PA 294, MCL 552. See Michigan Laws 552.602
  • in writing: shall be construed to include printing, engraving, and lithographing; except that if the written signature of a person is required by law, the signature shall be the proper handwriting of the person or, if the person is unable to write, the person's proper mark, which may be, unless otherwise expressly prohibited by law, a clear and classifiable fingerprint of the person made with ink or another substance. See Michigan Laws 8.3q
  • 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
  • State friend of the court bureau: means that bureau as created in the state court administrative office under section 19 of the friend of the court act, MCL 552. See Michigan Laws 552.602
  • 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
  • Support order: means an order entered by the circuit court for the payment of support, whether or not a sum certain. See Michigan Laws 552.602
  •   (a) The child support amount determined by application of the child support formula.
      (b) How the child support order deviates from the child support formula.
      (c) The value of property or other support awarded instead of the payment of child support, if applicable.
      (d) The reasons why application of the child support formula would be unjust or inappropriate in the case.
      (3) Subsection (2) does not prohibit the court from entering a child support order that is agreed to by the parties and that deviates from the child support formula, if the requirements of subsection (2) are met.