Using Experts: Vocational & Financial

When income is hidden or disputed, the right expert can move the number more than any argument.

The vocational expert

A vocational expert evaluates education, work history, skills, and the local job market to estimate realistic earning capacity — useful when a parent appears underemployed or claims they can't work.

The forensic accountant

A forensic accountant analyzes self-employment income through bank statements, tax returns, and POS reports, and identifies personal expenses the business is paying — "add-backs" — to find the real income.

A real example

A salon owner reported $2,000 a month, but bank deposits averaged $7,500. A forensic review found $1,200 a month in personal expenses (cell phones, groceries) paid by the business as add-backs. The court set support on the documented income, with a bonus clause for seasonal swings.

When it pays off

Experts tend to be worth it when the income dispute exceeds about $2,000 a month — the fee can pay for itself within months. Keep the assignment narrow ("assess earning capacity for X background in Y market"), and consider a jointly retained neutral expert to avoid dueling opinions.

Since 1997, the San Antonio child support attorney team at Sinkin Law Firm has recovered unpaid support for parents statewide.