I am ordered to pay child support by the Friend of the Court, can I pay my support directly to the other party?

This is not the recommended way in which to pay support. Once a support order has been established, your child support should be taken directly from your paycheck. If you are unemployed, then you are responsible for paying child support on your own. Regardless of how you pay support, once a support order has been established, by the court, you should make payments to either the Friend of the Court in your county or the Michigan Disbursement Unit (depending on the preference of your Friend of the Court). The Friend of the Court in your county keeps track of all support that has been paid by you to the other party, if you pay the other party directly the court will have no knowledge of the payment. If the court has no knowledge of the payment, they will be unable to give you credit for the payments you have made. If you pay the court directly the court can keep track of your current obligation, any arrearages owed, and future payments in an accurate manner.