What Is a Seek Work Order and When Can You Get One

When a paying parent is unemployed and child support is being reduced or waived on that basis, California courts can issue a seek work order — requiring the paying parent to actively search for employment and document their efforts.

How Seek Work Orders Work

A seek work order requires the paying parent to apply for a specified number of jobs per week, maintain a job search log, and report their efforts to the court or DCSS. Failure to comply can result in contempt. The order also supports an income imputation argument — a paying parent who isn’t looking for work is voluntarily unemployed and can be assigned income based on earning capacity.

Seek work orders shift the burden to the paying parent. Instead of the custodial parent proving the paying parent could work, the paying parent must prove they’re genuinely trying. Custodial parents who request seek work orders in cases of apparent voluntary unemployment create an ongoing compliance obligation that’s hard for paying parents to ignore.

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.