ordered pay child support advice law advice insurance advice community law advice case evaluation ask lawyer amp legal topics legal topics accident law bankruptcy law business law criminal law employment labor law estate planning family law financial law general practice government law immigration law insurance law intellectual property litigation malpractice law personal injury real estate law tax law small claims admiralty maritime aviation law family law topics family law topics divorce lawchild custodychild supportspousal supportmarriageadoption lawdomestic violencename change advice law advice family law child support current ordered pay child support written freeadvice staff sponsored child support may ordered legal parent officially relinquished parental rights biological parent adoptive parent child may ordered pay child support child longer living or providing routine care may ordered pay child support traditionally notion child support primarily paid men stereotype exists women given custody children divorce situation men traditionally worked outside larger incomes gender equality taken hold common mother father to pay child support depending custody children child support may ordered parent question want child physical contact child parent legally given parental rights action court parent approve ordered court pay support ordered pay child support ordered situations parent sole primary custody child parent responsible raising child daily basis ordered pay set amount based incomes parent needs child order share financial burden parenthood pay child support pay child support ordered you may face myriad legal problems may lose license wages tax returns garnished jailed certain instances depending live getting child support determined state state level advisable speak attorney area live order understanding rules child support apply view related general child support questions articles view faq divorce legal topics divorce attorney ask lawyer looking social read articlesis income child support calculations attorney necessary voluntarily terminate parental rights obligee parent spend money child child support order child support ordered pay child support obligor obligee select practice area adoption support amp child custody arbitration aviation maritime amp boat accident banking bankruptcy business car accident civil rights amp ada collection construction contract copyright ip amp trademark criminal dui dwi divorce education law elder law employment environmental estate planning franchise general practice government healthcare nursing abuse immigration insurance international juvenile landlord tenant legal malpractice lemon law libel amp slander litigation medical malpractice military patent pensions amp benefit personal injury product liability railroad accident real estate securities sexual harassment small claims social security disability sports amp entertainment tax technology amp internet wills amp probate worker compensation wrongful death topics select state alabama alaska arizona arkansas california colorado connecticut delaware district columbia florida georgia hawaii idaho illinois indiana iowa kansas kentucky louisiana maine maryland massachusetts michigan minnesota mississippi missouri montana nebraska nevada hampshire jersey mexico york north carolina north dakota ohio oklahoma oregon pennsylvania puerto rico rhode island south carolina south dakota tennessee texas virgin islands utah vermont virginia washington west virginia wisconsin wyoming child support general child support questionschild support calculationfailure pay child supportmodification child supportobtaining child
Who Can Be Ordered to Pay Child Support Free Advice Law Advice Insurance Advice Community Law Advice Free Case Evaluation Ask a Lawyer Q amp A Legal Topics All Legal Topics Accident Law Bankruptcy Law Business Law Criminal Law Employment Labor Law Estate Planning Family Law Financial Law General Practice Government Law Immigration Law Insurance Law Intellectual Property Litigation Malpractice Law Personal Injury Real Estate Law Tax Law Small Claims Admiralty Maritime Aviation Law Family Law Topics All Family Law Topics Divorce LawChild CustodyChild SupportSpousal SupportMarriageAdoption LawDomestic ViolenceName Change Free Advice Law Advice Family Law Child Support Current Page Who can be ordered to pay child support Written by FreeAdvice Staff Sponsored Ad Child support may be ordered of any legal parent who has not officially relinquished his or her parental rights If you are a biological parent or an adoptive parent of a child then you may be ordered to pay child support for that child whenever you are no longer living in his or her home or providing him with routine care Who May Be Ordered to Pay Child Support Traditionally there was a notion that child support was primarily paid by men This stereotype exists because women were often given custody of the children in a divorce situation while men traditionally worked outside of the home more often and made larger incomes As gender equality has taken hold it is now common for either the mother or the father to have to pay child support depending on who has custody of the children Child support may be ordered even if the parent in question did not want the child and or has no physical contact with the child Unless the parent has legally given up any and all parental rights an action that the court and the other parent would both have to approve he or she can still be ordered by the court to pay support When Are You Ordered to Pay Child support is most often ordered in situations where one parent has either sole or primary custody of the child The parent who isn't responsible for raising the child on a daily basis will be ordered to pay a set amount based on the incomes of each parent and the needs of the child in order to share in the financial burden of parenthood What If You Do Not Pay Child Support If you do not pay the child support that is ordered of you then you may face a myriad of legal problems You may lose your driver's license have your wages or tax returns garnished or even be jailed in certain instances depending on where you live Getting Help Because child support is determined on a state by state level it is always advisable to speak with an attorney in the area where you live in order to get help understanding the rules for child support that will apply to you View Related General Child Support Questions Articles View the Next FAQ Divorce Homepage All Legal Topics Find a Divorce Attorney Ask a Lawyer Didn't find what you were looking for Make it Social Must Read ArticlesIs a new spouse's income used in child support calculations Is an attorney necessary to voluntarily terminate parental rights What if the obligee parent does not spend any money on the child What is a child support order What is child support Who can be ordered to pay child support Who is the obligor and who is the obligee Select Practice Area Adoption Support amp Child Custody Arbitration Aviation Maritime amp Boat Accident Banking Bankruptcy Business Car Accident Civil Rights amp ADA Collection Construction Contract Copyright IP amp Trademark Criminal DUI DWI Divorce Education Law Elder Law Employment Environmental Estate Planning Franchise General Practice Government Healthcare Nursing Home Abuse Immigration Insurance International Juvenile Landlord Tenant Legal Malpractice Lemon Law Libel amp Slander Litigation Medical Malpractice Military Patent Pensions amp Benefit Personal Injury Product Liability Railroad Accident Real Estate Securities Sexual Harassment Small Claims Social Security Disability Sports amp Entertainment Tax Technology amp Internet Wills amp Probate Worker Compensation Wrongful Death Other Topics Select State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas US Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Child Support General Child Support QuestionsChild Support CalculationFailure to Pay Child SupportModification of Child SupportObtaining Child Support