Proving Job Loss or Reduced Hours

An income drop only counts if you can prove it — and prove it wasn't self-imposed.

Document the loss

• Layoff/termination: separation letters, unemployment claims, COBRA notices, and a final paystub showing the last day worked.
• Reduced hours: new schedules, employer memos, and consecutive paystubs showing the lower gross.
• Seasonal or union work: call sheets or off-season calendars to establish the pattern.

Show it wasn't voluntary

Keep a dated job-search log (employer, position, result) with application confirmations. When market conditions caused the loss — closures, strikes, regulatory shifts — pair news or industry reports with your personal evidence. Document your reasons for declining any job offer to defeat a claim of voluntary underemployment.

Medical limits and good faith

If health limits your work, get a provider letter with specific functional restrictions and a duration ("no lifting over 10 lbs for six weeks" beats a vague note). Keep making partial payments through the SDU — courts notice continued effort — and report any new employer within three days.

Talk to a child support lawyer at Sinkin Law Firm — we collect and enforce child support across Texas.