How Does a Vocational Evaluation Benefit Me?
It can be beneficial to have a Vocational Expert (VE) in a divorce case. In general, a VE has the education and knowledge to offer expert Vocational Evaluations regarding a person’s ability to work. This could include the following broad areas: what qualifications and skills does the person have, are there employment opportunities available, and would training or education improve a person’s ability to find employment? The earning capacity of an individual in a divorce case is one of the key factors to determining the amount a spouse may or may not be paid for alimony or child support.
Factors of Vocational Evaluations in Divorce
How does a Vocational Expert establish an individual’s earning capacity or their ability to work? It is not by simply picking a number out of thin air. Rather, a Vocational Expert will conduct a vocational evaluation to determine someone’s earning capacity. Regarding divorces, a vocational evaluation involves several different factors that when all combined give a complete vocational picture of an individual. A Vocational Expert may consider age, prior training and education, job skills or competencies, employment history, medical history, physical and mental capabilities, and vocational interests. These aspects of an individual may contribute to the potential jobs that are available, and that along with an examination of the local job market can provide a full vocational picture and earning capacity of an individual. While the family court judge isn’t required to follow what the vocational expert opines, the information can still be an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to divorce proceedings.
At Vocational Expert Services, Inc, we offer vocational evaluations in divorce cases. These vocational evaluations are conducted by credentialed and experienced consultants. Vocational Expert Services, Inc. can provide services both in-person and online.