Paying child support is very important. Children count on the support of their parents - both the custodial and the non-custodial parents. It is typically the responsibility of the non-custodial parent to pay child support, but in cases of joint custody, both parents are typically equally responsible for the support of the children. Judges consider the whole situation of a family in court, and take several factors into consideration before determining the amount of child support that is to be paid. The amount of money the non-custodial parent makes, the number of children involved and expenses may all be taken into consideration before a judge orders the non-custodial parent to start paying child support. Some parents resolve issues on their own, coming to a financial agreement amongst themselves while others need the services of a judge and attorney to agree. In some cases, the child support goes to a third party from the non-custodial parent and is then distributed to the custodial parent.