TECHNOLOGY TRENDS: A Special Focus on Productivity and Survey Tools

By: Michelle LeFeve, Courtland Consulting

[Editor’s Note: This article begins a short series of articles that will focus on the availability of technological resources to help courts perform efficiently and collect information.  While certain products are highlighted, this is not an endorsement of one product over another.]

Technology Has Completely Changed the Way We Work and Communicate

My work at Courtland Consulting  allows me to share with many courts, agencies, organizations, and businesses our knowledge of new tools and technology trends that can help people do their job and market their programs and services.  This Technology Trends article is the first in a series that I will be writing to share how people and companies are taking advantage of new tools to collaborate and work on projects, which ultimately helps save time and money.

A Responsive Guide to Communicating Friend of the Court Resources

By: JoAnne Lockey-Sarrault

Case Manager, Cheboygan County Friend of the Court

The Friend of the Court (FOC) is a complex place to use resources.  Often, our clients are already on edge about the issues they must address with this arm of the Circuit Court — one’s family, finances, and very personal information.  There may be an element of fear involved, as this may be the first time a client has had to conduct FOC business.  This is especially true if clients are acting on their own, attempting to navigate the complicated procedures and legal language that are the fundamental pieces of any domestic relations case.

What Are You Posting Online? – Effectively Using Social Media in Child Support Cases

Social media is a valuable tool for support specialists, prosecutors, and friend of the court investigators. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, have been used as effective means to locate parents and to clarify information received from parties.

Using Technology to Ease Document Exchange in Intergovernmental Cases

As states prepared to pass the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), the U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) began developing an application for states to electronically exchange child support documents and UIFSA forms. The Electronic Document Exchange (EDE) was released to the states in 2014, creating a secure way for states to efficiently exchange case information and supporting documentation in intergovernmental cases.

Good Things Do Come Free: Free Resources for Your Court

In today’s economy, every penny saved is a penny earned; this saying is especially true when it comes to the Michigan court system. As Michigan’s courts attempt to provide an exceptional level of service, there is an equal struggle to save court funds. Thankfully, there are a multitude of free resources the courts can use to help perform everyday duties. The following are a few examples of free resources:

Legal Corner - May 2017

MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS DECISIONS

PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED SEE: http://courts.mi.gov/courts/coa/opinions/pages/zipfiles.aspx