There are more people separated from the workforce now than there has ever been in the United States. Many of these individuals are not in the workforce by choice, although they will give you a list of issues and reasons why they are not working. As the need for information supporting requests for Alimony and Child Support increases, so does the need for assessment of earning capacity and vocational potential. Determining a spouse's earning ability can pose a difficult and complex dilemma. A spouse may be out of work by mutual agreement, e.g., health reasons or raising children, or may be unemployed involuntarily, e.g., job change or downsizing. A spouse may be purposely out of work or underemployed, or hiding income and this is when imputed income is needed. When issues arise regarding support of the spouse or children, determining the earning capacity for which either spouse should be responsible becomes a critical issue.
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors specialize in the study of medical and psychological aspects of disability, assessing an individual's disability to delineate functional limitations and possible vocational alternatives. This unique and specialized knowledge places vocational rehabilitation counselors in a critical forensic role as an expert witness for the tire of fact. The vocational expert (VE) assessment and testimony measures the scope and severity of a disability in functional and vocational limitations. This is vital in accidents that occurred and may be subject to legal claims for monetary damages.
Veterans Disability can be very frustrating and a long process. Medical & Psychological issues are challenging for claims people, attorneys and judges alike to assess in vocational & functional terms. If there is conflicting information, what are the implications, how will it be addressed? It is the purview of the Vocational Expert to address vocational limitations and abilities based on medical and psychological limitations.
