If you’ve been through any type of family court matter, whether it be custody or divorce, you’ve probably thought to yourself, “I should just quit my job, so I don’t have to pay my ex so much money.” It’s okay to think that, but we are here to let you know that it won’t be that easy.
It may seem like a good idea at the time, but quitting your job, or even retiring from your job, does not always mean you’ll have to pay less spousal or less child support. That’s right, you could end up making less money but still end up having to pay the same amount you were before!
How does that make any sense you ask? The answer is simple: imputed wages. If you have made a certain amount of money previously, the court takes the position that you are capable of making that amount of money in the future. You can be “imputed” at your previous wage, and still have to pay support based on that figure. You may even be required to perform job searches and submit such to the Court, or to opposing counsel, if the Court deems that you voluntarily quit your job. There are acceptable circumstances, of course-for example, if you are laid off, you have an injury that no longer allows you to perform your job, or you are actually at retirement age. The court does handle those scenarios differently.
Does this mean you can never retire? What happens if you lose your job? Those are very good questions, and Wolf & Shore Law Group may have the answers! Call us today for a confidential consultation. We can be reached here, at 203.745.3151, or at info@wolfandshorelaw.com. You can schedule a call back from our Client Intake Specialist here!
