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 Maryland, child support is a legal obligation paid by the noncustodial parent to the custodial parent to contribute to the expenses associated with raising their minor child. This financial support is determined during divorce proceedings, when parents are separating, or if they were never married. Maryland law uses a Child Support Guidelines formula to calculate the amount of support, which considers the income of both parents, the number of children, and other factors such as health insurance and daycare expenses. Even in cases of joint custody, the parent who has the child for fewer overnights may still be required to pay child support if there is a significant discrepancy in income between the parents. The custodial parent, who may have the right to determine the child's primary residence, is typically the recipient of child support payments. The Maryland Child Support Administration, a division of the Department of Human Services, is responsible for enforcing these payments. Child support can be paid directly between parents or through wage withholding from the obligor's employer, which provides a systematic record of payments made.