Chief justice marks Friend of the Court anniversary

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Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack has joined with the Friend of the Court Association to celebrate August 2019 as the 100th anniversary of Michigan’s Friend of the Court.

The chief justice also attended the recent annual meeting of the association and swore in their officers.

“Truly, the one attribute of the 2000 professionals who work for Friend of the Court are just that – a friend to the hundreds of thousands of families who depend on your work,” noted McCormack. “You are a lifeline for families who are struggling with divorce, parenting time, and other difficult issues. You serve those moms, dads, and children with dignity, respect, compassion, and dedication that is unmatched.”

McCormack presented the association with a Michigan Supreme Court resolution highlighting the anniversary, noting, in part: “...for 100 years, Michigan’s Friend of the Court has been an innovative leader and national pioneer in protecting the welfare of families and children ...”

Enacted on Aug. 14, 1919, Friend of the Court legislation was adopted to protect the welfare of families and children by investigating and recommending parenting time, support and to provide alternative dispute resolution for families.

The Friend of the Court, in 2018, served nearly 750,000 families and supervised distribution of more than $1.4 billion dollars of child support, medical expenses, and spousal support.

At the same time, the FOC assisted families over 14,000 times in voluntarily resolving custody and parenting time disputes.