Child Support is the obligation paid to the custodial parent of child by the non custodial parent for rearing the child. It is in the best interest of a child for both parents to be obligated to pay for the support of their child. An order for child support transfers the income/wealth from one parent to the other so that the combined incomes/wealth of both parents is available to use for the support of the child. For the non-custodial parent, financial support of a child is not an option; it is an obligation.

A Child Support order includes when and how much a parent has to pay for child support. A Child Support Order is generally part of a divorce decree or paternity judgment. Most states now follow a guideline or formula devised for estimating child support amount. This ensures uniformity in child support payment from court to court.

If you do not have a child visitation or child custody order in place, and are paying high child support, obtaining such an order may lower the amount of child support you pay.