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 Massachusetts, child support is a legal obligation paid by the noncustodial parent to the custodial parent to contribute to the expenses associated with raising their child. When parents divorce, separate, or were never married, the court may order child support payments. Massachusetts uses the Child Support Guidelines to determine the amount of support, which considers the income of both parents, the number of children, and other relevant factors. Even in cases of joint custody, the parent who has the child for the majority of the time, or who has been designated the primary caregiver, may be entitled to receive child support from the other parent. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) is the state agency responsible for enforcing child support orders, which can include wage withholding from the noncustodial parent's employer. Wage withholding provides a systematic method of payment that also serves as a record of transactions. Parents can also make direct payments to each other, but using the state's system can help ensure accurate tracking and enforcement of support payments.