Installment Payment Order Request (Michigan)
When you owe the judgment but the garnishment is taking more than you can survive on, asking the court for a monthly payment plan is often the strongest move available.
Important: Clear Path Document Services is a non-attorney document preparation service and cannot provide legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created. Read full disclaimer
Quick Answer
A Michigan installment payment order is a court order letting you pay a judgment in set monthly amounts instead of having it collected all at once. It matters because an existing installment payment order is one of the listed grounds for objecting to a periodic garnishment on form MC 49 — so a payment plan can stop a wage garnishment going forward as long as you keep the payments current. You ask by filing a motion with the court that entered the judgment, supported by your income and expenses. The judge decides the amount. Clear Path prepares the motion and the supporting budget; we do not appear in court.
Who qualifies for this service?
This document preparation service is a fit for Michigan residents who match the criteria below. If your situation is different, contact us and we'll tell you whether we can help or whether you should speak with an attorney.
- People whose wages are being garnished and who can pay something monthly
- Debtors who owe a Michigan district or circuit court judgment
- People who lost a small claims or debt collection case and want a manageable plan
- Anyone whose garnishment is leaving them unable to cover rent, utilities, or food
- Debtors who want to avoid repeat garnishments over the same judgment
- People who already have an order but need the monthly amount changed
How the process works
Clear, predictable steps from intake to court-ready paperwork.
Tell us the judgment
Court, case number, amount owed, and whether a garnishment has already started.
Budget review
We help you organize income and monthly expenses into the format the court expects.
Written quote
Flat preparation fee, quoted quickly when a garnishment is already running.
Motion prepared
The motion and proposed installment payment order, with the supporting budget.
Filing and service packet
Where to file, who to serve, and what the court's next step usually is.
Follow-through
If a garnishment is active, we can prepare the MC 49 objection that relies on the order.
Paperwork we organize for you
Document preparation only. We do not represent you in court.
Documents and information you'll need
- The judgment or the writ of garnishment showing the court and case number
- Your recent pay stubs or proof of income
- A list of monthly expenses — rent or mortgage, utilities, food, transportation, insurance, child support
- Any other garnishments or court-ordered payments you already pay
- Household size and any dependents
- The monthly amount you believe you can realistically pay
Common mistakes to avoid
Small errors can cost you weeks. Here's what we see most often.
- Waiting until the garnishment has already taken a full paycheck.
- Promising more per month than you can actually pay, then defaulting and losing the protection.
- Filing in a different court from the one that entered the judgment.
- Leaving out the income and expense detail the judge needs to set a fair amount.
- Getting the order and not filing the garnishment objection that uses it.
- Missing a payment without going back to the court to ask for a modification.
Local Michigan considerations
Michigan courts can enter installment payment orders on civil judgments, and an existing order is one of the grounds listed on form MC 49 for objecting to a periodic garnishment. That connection is why the motion is so useful — it converts an unpredictable garnishment into a fixed monthly number. The motion goes to the court that entered the judgment, and each district court handles the scheduling differently. The order protects you only while payments are current, so pick a number you can hold to every month, not the best month you've had. If your circumstances change, go back to the court and ask for a modification rather than simply missing payments.
Key Terms
- Installment payment order
- A court order allowing a judgment to be paid in periodic amounts rather than collected in a lump sum.
- Judgment debtor
- The person who owes money under a court judgment.
- Periodic garnishment
- A garnishment of recurring payments such as wages, which an installment payment order can generally interrupt.
- Motion
- A written request asking the court to enter an order.
People Also Ask
Reviewed and updated by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.
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