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 Minnesota, child support is a financial obligation imposed by the court on the noncustodial parent to contribute to the costs of raising their child. This support is intended to cover expenses such as food, shelter, education, and medical care for the child. When parents divorce, separate, or were never married, the court determines the amount of child support based on a set of guidelines that consider both parents' incomes, the needs of the child, and other relevant factors. Even in cases of joint custody, the parent who has the child for the majority of the time (custodial parent) may be entitled to receive child support from the other parent (noncustodial parent). The Minnesota Department of Human Services provides services through its Child Support Enforcement Division to assist with the establishment and enforcement of child support orders. Child support can be paid directly between parents or through wage withholding, where the employer of the obligor deducts the support amount from their wages. Wage withholding offers the benefit of automatic recordkeeping, which can be useful for both parents.