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 Virginia, child support is a legal obligation paid by the noncustodial parent to the custodial parent to contribute to the expenses of raising their minor child. When parents divorce, separate, or were never married, the court may order child support payments. Virginia uses child support guidelines to calculate the amount, which considers the income of both parents, the needs of the child, and other factors. Even in cases of joint custody, the parent who has the child for the majority of the time, or is designated to determine the child's primary residence, may be entitled to receive child support from the other parent. The Virginia Department of Social Services, Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE), plays a role similar to the Office of the Attorney General in other states, by enforcing child support orders. Child support can be paid directly between parents or through wage withholding, where the employer of the obligor deducts the payment directly from their wages. Wage withholding offers the benefit of automatic recordkeeping and ensures consistent payment.