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 Utah, child support is a financial obligation mandated by the court for the noncustodial parent to provide to the custodial parent, who has primary custody of the minor child. This obligation arises when parents divorce, separate, or if they were never married. Utah law may also recognize situations where parents have joint custody, but one parent is designated the primary residential parent and may be entitled to receive child support. The Utah Office of Recovery Services (ORS) within the Department of Human Services is the state equivalent of the Office of the Attorney General in other states and is responsible for enforcing child support orders. Child support can be paid directly from one parent to the other or through income withholding from the noncustodial parent's wages. Income withholding offers the benefit of automatic deductions and recordkeeping, which can simplify the payment process and provide evidence of payments made.