Forbes
contributor Jeff Landers is highlighting the four key reasons why
divorcing women should count a job expert among their professional divorce team, alongside an experienced family lawyer, a qualified divorce financial advisor, and a compassionate therapist.
“More
and more women are finding they need to enlist the services of a
vocational expert,” writes Landers in an article published
earlier today on Forbes.com,
“someone whose job it is to know what skills are in demand in
today’s employment market, and what income these skills can
command in various careers.”
According to Landers, who is also the author of the new book “Divorce:
Think Financially, Not Emotionally – What Women Need To Know
About Securing Their Financial Future Before, During, And After
Divorce,” the four key reasons that divorcing women need to have a job guru in their corner are:
#1:
So they can get a clear, objective picture of their husband’s
earning potential – not just what he’s currently earning during
the divorce process.
Landis
points out that the current volatile economic climate has
prompted more than a few men to tactically seek a lower paying job
so that they’ll be in a stronger negotiating position with
respect to alimony and child support determination.
#2: To determine their own earning potential.
Landers
notes that some husbands claim that their wives could be earning a
sizeable income after divorce – though without enough (or any)
evidence to back that up. A vocational expert clarifies what a
realistic income should be, given all of the factors and details.
#3: To dispute their husband’s or a court-ordered vocational expert.
While the goal is for vocational experts is to render professional conclusions that are, according to Landis, “reasonable, fair and consistent,” that doesn’t mean they all take the same route to get there. Women
who neglect to bring their own expert to the table can find
themselves at a serious disadvantage when their husband’s hire
one, or the courts order one to render an opinion, and they need to
mount a counter-offensive.
#4: To determine their earning ability after divorce or any other major life change.
Landis
points out that vocational experts can help women find
appropriate work. They can also help petition the courts for a change in
alimony or child support in the event of a major life change
after divorce that adversely affects employability and earning
potential, such as through an illness or accident.
Landers
wraps up by pointing out that, even more than providing clear
knowledge and objective facts, vocational experts level the
playing field for women who would otherwise be bullied, swayed or
hoodwinked into accepting an unfair deal.
“I’ve
seen time and time again how some estranged husbands try to gain a
financial advantage –and how a vocational evaluation can help set
the record straight,” Landers
writes. “What’s more, [women] will
likely find that the results of interest and aptitude tests from
the vocational evaluation process can also be valuable for [their]
personal and professional growth down the road.”
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