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 Oklahoma, when parents divorce, separate, or were never married, child support is a financial obligation imposed by the court on the noncustodial parent to contribute to the expenses of raising their child. The custodial parent, who has primary custody, is typically the recipient of child support payments. Even if parents have joint custody, the parent with the authority to determine the child's primary residence is often entitled to receive child support. The Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General plays a role in enforcing these court-ordered child support payments. Child support can be paid directly from one parent to the other or through wage withholding, where the employer of the noncustodial parent deducts the support payment directly from their wages. Wage withholding offers the benefit of automatic recordkeeping, which can help ensure payments are documented and made consistently.