Glossary of Child Support Terms

Child support laws vary in the United States. We provide legal definitions for terms used in court-ordered support payment documents, custody and visitation and other divorce paperwork.

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obligation: Amount of money to be paid as Support by the non-custodial parent, and the way it is to be paid
obligee: A person to whom money or property is owed as the result of a judgment. In child Support cases, it is the person to whom Support is owed.
obligor: A person who owes money or property as the result of a judgment. In child Support cases, it is the person who owes Support.
order of protection: An order assigned by the court to prevent a spouse from doing something, typically, harassing the other spouse. If the spouse refuses to abide by the order, they may be arrested and put jail.
order to show cause: A court order requiring appearance in court, on a specific date and time, of a party to a civil action. This appearance is scheduled to explain why the court should not take a particular action in the case. For example, an Order to Show Cause can be issued to a non-custodial parent, requiring them to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt of court for failure to obey an order to pay child Support.

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