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 Nevada, child support is a financial obligation imposed by the court on the noncustodial parent to contribute to the living expenses of their minor child. When parents divorce, separate, or were never married, the court may order child support payments to ensure that the child's financial needs are met. Nevada law recognizes the concept of joint custody, but even in such arrangements, the parent who has primary physical custody—meaning the child lives with them most of the time—may be entitled to receive child support from the other parent. The amount of child support is determined by state guidelines, which consider factors such as the income of both parents, the number of children, and the custody arrangement. The Nevada Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Enforcement Program assists in enforcing and collecting child support payments. Payments can be made directly between parents or through wage withholding, where the employer of the noncustodial parent deducts the support payment from their wages. Wage withholding offers the benefit of automatic recordkeeping and can help ensure consistent payment of child support obligations.