One reason parents get nervous about going through a divorce is finances. Even if only one spouse works and earns a salary, the household and child-raising expenses are shared and jointly managed by the couple. If you have been a stay-at-home mom depending on your husband’s income, the idea of managing financially on your own can be overwhelming.
Child support is meant to help. If one parent ends up taking on more of the child-raising responsibilities after a divorce, the other parent needs to send them regular payments to compensate for it. Often, this is a logical arrangement that suits both parents: If one parent has less flexibility to work because they have to drop the child off, pick them up, shuttle them around to their medical appointments and extracurricular activities, and generally be available, it makes it harder for them to have a demanding but lucrative job. It also means the other parent is free to stay at work late and establish themselves at their job, and in turn, they can earn more money.