Opinion ID: 2617028
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Voluntarily Underemployed

Text: The first reason the district court gave for deviating from the presumptive amount was that the father was voluntarily underemployed because he voluntarily committed a crime, thereby limiting his employment options. The statute that permits a court to consider voluntary underemployment as a reason for deviating from the presumptive child support provides: (b) A court may deviate from the presumptive child support established by W.S. 20-6-304 upon a specific finding that the application of the presumptive child support would be unjust or inappropriate in that particular case. In any case where the court has deviated from the presumptive child support, the reasons therefor shall be specifically set forth fully in the order or decree. In determining whether to deviate from the presumptive child support established by W.S. 20-6-304, the court shall consider the following factors: ... (xi) Whether either parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed. In such case the child support shall be computed based upon the potential earning capacity (imputed income) of the unemployed or underemployed parent. In making that determination the court shall consider: (A) Prior employment experience and history; (B) Educational level and whether additional education would make the parent more self-sufficient or significantly increase the parent's income; (C) The presence of children of the marriage in the parent's home and its impact on the earnings of that parent; (D) Availability of employment for which the parent is qualified; (E) Prevailing wage rates in the local area; (F) Special skills or training; and (G) Whether the parent is realistically able to earn imputed income. WYO. STAT. § 20-6-302(b)(xi) (1997). Although this statute does not explain how to determine whether or not a parent is voluntarily underemployed, it illustrates what types of situations qualify a parent as being voluntarily underemployed. The legislature obviously did not contemplate voluntarily committing a crime when it enacted this statute. The evidence revealed that the father tried to obtain the best paying job that he could under the circumstances. His ability to work was limited by his inability to travel overnight and by the fact that he was staying at Community Alternatives of Casper rather than in Gillette where the higher paying jobs were located. Additionally, although the father attended truck driving school and obtained his commercial driver's license during his incarceration, he was not able to utilize that license due to the restrictions at Community Alternatives of Casper. He even found temporary employment for the week when bad weather shut down his construction job. We conclude that the father made a good faith effort to find the highest paying job possible, given his situation, and that he was not voluntarily underemployed. Manners v. Manners, 706 P.2d 671, 675 (Wyo. 1985).