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In Michigan, particularly Oakland County, if you file a complaint for a divorce and have children, the court will automatically schedule an Early Intervention Conference (EIC) with the Friend of the Court referee assigned to your case.  This blog is written to very basically address what an Early Intervention Conference is and what it involves, if you have questions about your own situation, please contact us to schedule a consultation by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.

What is an Early Intervention Conference With the Friend of the Court?

Typically the EIC is an informal court hearing that is actually more like a meeting with the Friend of the Court referee that is assigned to your case.  Both of the divorcing parents and their attorneys, if they have attorneys, will be required to attend this hearing/meeting.  The referee will first introduce themselves and then ask whether the attorneys or parties have exchanged the appropriate documentation that is required to be exchanged before the meeting and if not, then issue a deadline for those documents to be provided. 

The referee will then ask the attorneys what if any issues have been resolved and what issues remain outstanding.  If the parents are not represented by lawyers, then the referee will go through a list of potential issues and ask them whether any of the issues have been resolved.  The EIC is typically scheduled within a month or two of the filing of the complaint for divorce, so most of the time very few issues, if any, have actually been resolved by the date of the Early Intervention Conference.  Even if some issues have tentatively been resolved, most attorneys will just indicate that everything remains at issues for purposes of the EIC.

Next the referee will explain what the Friend of the Court is and how it can be used by the parties to help them resolve any issues regarding parenting time, custody or child support whether these issues arise during the divorce or after the divorce.  Often the referee will then go through the list of other Friend of the Court employees that may be assigned to the case, such as a support specialist, accountant, or in Oakland County a parenting time coordinator.  Nothing is actually decided at the Friend of the Court Early Intervention Conference and there is no need to feel anxious prior to the meeting.  It is truly meant to be an informative session for the parents and a check by the court to make sure that the required financial and other information is actually exchanged earlier in the case.  If you have questions about a potential divorce or separation, please do not hesitate to schedule a consultation by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.