5. Ask the court to impute income
If you think your partner is hiding income or not earning what they could, you can go to court and ask the judge to to your partner. This means asking the judge to decide that your partner earns more than they say or can earn more.
The judge imputes income based on what your partner is capable of earning or what the judge thinks your partner actually makes.
The judge does this by looking at your partner’s:
- work history
- past income
- age
- skills
- education
- health
- job opportunities
- lifestyle
If the judge imputes income to your partner, they will take that income into account when applying the (SSAGs). These are guidelines the judge uses when making decisions about .
The SSAG formula calculates a range of low, middle, and high support amounts, as well as the length of time spousal support might be paid. This can help you or a judge decide what amount of spousal support is appropriate and for how long, depending on the facts of your case.
