Child support cases differ depending upon the number of children involved, the relationship between the mother and father, the number of years the couple has been together and many other factors. One thing is certain, though. The court will always consider what is best for the children. In most cases, they will award custody to one parent with the other parent receiving visitation. In some cases, the parents receive joint custody. In these situations, either the non-custodial parent or the joint custody parents will be responsible for paying child support. Child support is a determined amount of money that the non-custodial parent must pay the custodial parent each month to help care for the children. Child support cases are looked at closely by judges, who then determine the amount of child support an individual will pay. Several things are considered, including the number of children, the income of the non-custodial parent, the current child support payments which may be court-ordered for the non-custodial parent and more. The judge then ensures that it's a payment amount that the non-custodial parent can afford.