Will I have to pay spousal support because my ex quit his job?

There are many factors a court evaluates when determining whether a spousal support order should be issued. Family Code section 4320 explains all of the factors, which include: length of the marriage, income of the parties and standard of living established during the marriage.

If your ex quit his job, you can ask the court to “impute” income. A court imputes income when one party is unemployed or underemployed. If you want the court to impute the other party’s income to more than just minimum wage, a vocational examination will be ordered. The examination will look at factors such as the party’s age, marketable skills, employment history, and current availability of employment opportunities.