Opinion ID: 2165640
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Use of Employment Verification Forms Instead of Tax Returns

Text: Buckhalter argues that the employment verification forms the State introduced to show Buckhalter's income were inadequate. Paragraph D of the Nebraska Child Support Guidelines provide, [c]opies of at least 2 years' tax returns, financial statements, and current wage stubs should be furnished to the court and the other party to the action at least 3 days before any hearing requesting relief. Buckhalter contends that the State should have requested his tax returns through discovery instead of relying on the employment verification forms as evidence of his income. Buckhalter, however, was in the best position to provide more thorough evidence of his income. Yet, he chose not to participate. He now suggests that the State should have used discovery to gain information about his income. We believe the State used a reasonable method to obtain information about Buckhalter's income when he refused to participate in the proceedings or submit evidence in his own behalf. The court did not err in calculating its child support award on employment verification forms instead of tax returns or wage stubs.