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 Wisconsin, child support is the financial contribution ordered by the court to be paid by the noncustodial parent to the custodial parent for the expenses of raising a minor child when parents divorce, separate, or were never married. Wisconsin law recognizes various custody arrangements, including joint legal custody, but child support is typically paid to the parent with primary physical custody. The amount of child support is determined by state guidelines that consider the income of both parents, the time each parent spends with the child, and other relevant factors. The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, through its Child Support Program, assists in enforcing and collecting child support payments. Child support can be paid directly between parents or through income withholding from the noncustodial parent's employer, which provides a systematic way of payment and recordkeeping. The state's system ensures that child support obligations are met and provides mechanisms for enforcement if payments are not made as ordered.