Many people that have to put up with Kent County air their complaints in forums throughout the country. I took 2 minutes to pull two such complaints. These two are moms talking about Kent County Friend of the Court:
ymarie63: I know too well the Kent County Friend of the court. They are the worst possible people...[] ...We have NO WAY to fight the [Kent County] FOC, to make them answer for the emotional damages that they have forced my son and myself to go through, and so they continue to abuse their power.
danielle1st: I think the question lies with, where is the problem? The laws and policies or the interpretation and dilligence of those who enforce them. I think possibly a lot of both. I have been dealing with the Kent County Friend of the Court for 6 years now. Maybe "dealing" isn't the correct term, stuggling is better. Every phone conversation I have is met with rudeness and a sense of superiority from the staff. Every request is ignored.
This complaint was sent to me today, and there are at least a dozen more for Kent County in the past few weeks. This is a regular occurrence with the inept Friend of the Court staff that claim to have a superior standing to the parties in Domestic Relations matters. Simply put, they are incompetent.
Chris:
Greetings from the ‘burbs of Chicago. I am the proud and engaged father of a wonderful 10 year old boy who lives with his mom (my ex) in East Grand Rapids. We’ve been divorced since 1999. In late 2000, I moved back to my hometown and to be near my family. During the first week of February of 2006, I was notified by my employer’s HR department that they had received a new Withholding Statement which increased the child support payment from $150.00 per week to $186.00 per week. It was also noted that I allegedly owed an additional $9,000 in alleged arrears. So another $85.00 per week was added on in the withholding order.
Attempts to understand what was going on via telephone proved futile. Finally, after requesting a full-audit of the account…I was informed “these audits take months and months”, and in the meantime, I would have to pay.
Finally, a new case manager was assigned to me. He called me and indicated that it seems a court order from July 2001 was never processed. So over time this is now the arrearage that I now owe. However, attempts to see that court order have gone unheeded by the FOC.
The heart-breaking issue for this long-distance Dad is that I am now placed in a position, by the FOC, that precludes me from the travel expense of visiting my son on alternating weekends. The travel (gas), hotel room, lunches, dinners and a movie, are all expensive. However, with this additional blind-sided burden, provided without any explanation from the FOC, I simply cannot afford to see my son. Thanks FOC.
Bastards!
The fact they separate children from parents with TOTAL disregard for the Childrens Bill of Rights is anything but the Best Interest of the Child.
When is enough , enough? You [the FOC] all tell me I have not seen nor heard from my only child in 21 years and she turns 22 this month. The FOC has aided in the concealment of my ONLY CHILD [without court order]. I will be dead before my fight is over and I will likely NEVER know this only child of mine [because of the FOC].
I want someone from the FOC to explain the pain and anguish of a parent that has never seen nor spoken to his ONLY CHILD. This system destoys lives and families.
When will lawmakers listen? I ask them all....when was the last time ......you saw your child? has it been 21 plus years?..........this is worse than the death of a child as there is NEVER any closure......just that hope that someday they will come back alive........
FOC....... FORMERLY OUR CHILDREN......NOT FRIEND OF THE COURT !!