California courts can impute income to a paying parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed — assigning them an income based on what they could earn if they were working at their capacity. This prevents paying parents from engineering low support by working below their ability.
When Imputation Is Appropriate
Courts consider imputation when: the paying parent quit a job without good reason, the paying parent is working part-time when full-time work is available, the paying parent took a lower-paying job to reduce support, or the paying parent has no income but has assets or a history of high earnings. The imputed amount is based on the local job market for the paying parent’s skills.
A history of high earnings is powerful evidence for imputation. A paying parent who earned $150,000 for ten years and now claims $30,000 is going to face hard questions. Tax returns, LinkedIn profiles, industry salary data, and employment records all support the imputation argument. Custodial parents who gather this evidence proactively arrive in court ready.
The California Child Support Recovery System gives custodial parents the exact tools, templates, and step-by-step guidance to enforce support orders, calculate arrears, and use every enforcement mechanism available — without paying an attorney to get started. Request your free evaluation here.
California Child Support Recovery System 
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