Pay Range: $25.70 – $31.47 per hour
Work Schedule: 37.5 hours per week
Reports To: Friend of the Court Referee-Administrator
Position Summary
Ionia County seeks a qualified and compassionate professional to join the Friend of the Court Office as an Investigator/Facilitator. Under the supervision of the Friend of the Court Referee-Administrator, this position works with families to address disputes involving child custody, parenting time, and child support, with a focus on the best interests of the children.
The ideal candidate has strong investigative, communication, mediation, and problem-solving skills and can navigate sensitive family matters professionally, impartially, and confidentially.
Key Responsibilities
- Interview parents and children, investigate family circumstances, assess needs, and assist parties in resolving conflicts.
- Conduct Facilitative Information Gathering (FIG) conferences to address child custody, parenting time, and child support issues.
- Make determinations regarding child support, custody, and parenting time when parties do not reach an agreement, resulting in immediate interim court orders as authorized.
- Investigate income and calculate child support in accordance with the Michigan Child Support Formula.
- Conduct home investigations and gather information and documentation relevant to family court matters.
- Prepare, review, and present court documents, including petitions, stipulations, and orders.
- Testify regularly in court and communicate with attorneys, judges, employers, schools, law enforcement, other agencies, and members of the public.
- Respond to telephone calls, written correspondence, and in-person inquiries.
- Review and approve court orders and judgments of divorce within the scope of assigned authority.
- Assist with office policies and procedures and maintain current knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and professional practices.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, or a related field, plus three to five years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word.
- Valid Michigan driver’s license.
Ionia County offers a rich benefit package, including the following:
- Medical insurance – 5% employee premium co-pay per pay period
- Health Savings Account – employer contribution of $600/single coverage; $1200/2-person or family coverage
- Group Life Insurance, $30,000
- Group Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Insurance
- 401(a), with 5% employer match, and 457 Deferred Compensation plans
- Voluntary dental, vision, life insurance, critical illness, accident, and hospital plans
- Vacation days – Start with 10 days; prorated at hire, increasing annually based on years of service
- Personal days – Accrued at 7.5 hours per month
- Holiday pay (12.5 days of regular Holiday, 1 day of float Holiday/year)
To Apply: Submit your cover letter, application, and resume to hr@ioniacounty.org, or mail to Ionia County Human Resources, 101 W. Main St., Ionia, MI 48846.
Ionia County is an equal opportunity employer.