Child support is a payment made to the parent who has physical custody of the child, meaning where the child actually resides. Under Virginia law, it is the child’s right to receive child support, not the right of the parent. Therefore, it is not something that can typically be bargained away or negotiated in a settlement.
The determination of child support and the right to receive it is very rigid, governed by guidelines that take into account the income and allowable expenses of each parent.