Child support agreements are usually part of a divorce, but they can also be something worked out in the family court system for parents who were not married. Most judges frown on couples who cannot make simple and reasonable arrangements for support and custody on their own and tend to avoid providing such couples with "joint" custody. This is because joint custody assumes the two parents are reasonable and capable of working together in the best interest of the child. This is usually a primary reason that California child support lawyers become involved with custody cases as well. Should a couple fail to agree upon terms, their California child support lawyers will work as mediators to ensure that all of the necessary arrangements have been made to the satisfaction of both parents.