When the parents of a minor child divorce or are no longer living together—or were never married—child support is the amount of money the court orders a parent who does not have primary custody of the child (the noncustodial parent) pay to the parent who does have primary custody (the custodial parent).

In some states the parents may be designated joint managing conservators of the child (joint custody), but one parent is given the right to choose the primary residence of the child, within a geographic area. The parent with this right to choose the child’s primary residence is usually entitled to receive child support payments.

The Office of the Attorney General in your state generally enforces the payment of court-ordered child support. Child support payments generally may be made by direct payment from one parent to the other, or through wage withholding by the employer of the parent who owes child support (the obligor). One advantage to payment by wage withholding is the built-in recordkeeping in the system.

In California, child support is the financial contribution ordered by the court from the noncustodial parent to the custodial parent for the expenses of raising a minor child. When parents divorce, separate, or were never married, the court may order child support to ensure that both parents contribute to the child's living expenses, healthcare, education, and other needs. California law recognizes joint custody arrangements, but even in these cases, if one parent has primary physical custody or if there is a significant disparity in income, the other parent may be required to pay child support. The California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is the state agency responsible for enforcing child support orders. Child support can be paid directly between parents or through wage garnishment, where the employer of the noncustodial parent deducts the support payment from their wages. Wage withholding offers the benefit of automatic record-keeping and ensures consistent payment. The amount of child support is determined by state guidelines, which consider the income of both parents, the amount of time the child spends with each parent, and other relevant factors.