Every child has the right to support from both parents – it does not matter whether the parents are divorced, separated or were never married. Each parent has a legal obligation to provide for the maintenance, health care, education and support of their minor children (for purposes of child support, generally a child is considered to be a minor until he or she reaches 18 years of age).The person with physical custody of minor children (that is, the adult with whom the minor children live for more than 50% of the time) can obtain a court order for child support from the non-custodial parent(s) several different ways:
1. Child support may be ordered/agreed to in a divorce or separate maintenance action.
2. Child support may be ordered (temporarily) as part of an Extended Protection Order.
3. Child support may be ordered through an enforcement or establishment action brought by the Churchill
County District Attorney's Child Support unit on behalf of the custodial parent or non-parent/custodian.
4. Child support may be ordered/agreed to in a civil paternity action.