How Does Child Support Work?

Child support is based on which parent has custody of the child.
If the mother has the child all week, then the father is responsible for financially supporting his child. If the situation is reversed, then the mother would be financially responsible for paying support to the father. If both of the parents agree to share equal time with the child (joint custody), then neither one has a financial obligation to the other. 
How Much Money Do You Make?
Child support is determined by the income of both parents. If the parent with custody works, this is taken in to consideration. The non-custodial parent would still be ordered to support the child, but he or she may not be required to pay as much. The more money the non-custodial parent makes, the higher his or her child support payments are going to be. 
What If You’re Not Working?
Judges don’t like non-custodial parents who try to get out of paying support for their children. They have a book with a list of all the possible jobs a person might have. If the non-custodial parent used to be a plumber, the judge can look up how much money a plumber makes in the area they are living. He can impose that amount as the non-custodial parents salary since the parent is capable of going out and getting a job in that field. The judge can then figure out how much child support should be awarded based on the possible salary. 
How Are the Payments Made?
All parents are assigned a case number. The non-custodial parent needs to make sure the payments are made to the Child Support Probation office, so that detailed records can be kept as to how much money is owed. Probation officers are also in charge of sending requests to employers to have the amount docked from the non-custodial parents paycheck each week. If the non-custodial parent is self-employed, then it is up to him or her to pay the probation office. The money is then sent to the custodian of the child from the probation office. 
What Happens If the Child Support Is Not Paid?
If the non-custodial parent misses 2 weeks of payments, a delinquency notice can be sent out to him or her. If no response is made and the account continues to accumulate, then a warrant for arrest can be issued. The non-custodial parent will receive a letter and if he or she does not make arrangements to pay a certain amount of the money owed by a certain date, then the warrant goes in to affect. The person will then be picked up and taken to jail.