In all fifty states, there are laws on the books that require that parents provide material support to their children. Although there are a number of unique jurisdictional requirements and special circumstances that apply in different states, the child support mandate is a cornerstone of custody cases in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, a joint custody arrangement does not necessarily absolve one of the parents from their child support responsibilities. Indeed, child support for joint custody arrangements is very common. This is due to the fact that even when both parents share custody, one parent usually remains in the position of acting as the primary caregiver. As such, the other parent is often required to render child support payments to ensure that they are doing their fair share, as well. The only situation in which joint custody may override child support is when the child