Opinion ID: 2600709
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The burden of proof was properly on Annie.

Text: Annie argues that the master incorrectly imposed the burden of proof on her to prove she was not unreasonably underemployed. She asserts that the burden of showing a prima facie case of unreasonable underemployment should have rested with John. Annie claims that John failed to meet his prima facie burden because the only evidence of unreasonable underemployment he presented was testimony he elicited from Annie about her work history, education, and why she changed jobs. She posits that an initial showing of voluntary and unreasonable underemployment should require more. We rule de novo in determining how the law applies to undisputed facts. [3] Annie relies on a footnote in Beaudoin v. Beaudoin in which we stated that the court should assume that the obligor's earnings accurately reflect reasonable efforts to maintain employment at earning capacity when an obligor moves the court to modify his or her child support payments. [4] We noted that the court should depart from this assumption only to the extent [the custodial parent] makes out a prima facie showing of voluntary and unreasonable underemployment. [5] Beaudoin does not define a prima facie case of voluntary and unreasonable underemployment. [6] We held there that the father made out a prima facie case of unreasonable underemployment simply by showing that the mother opted not to seek gainful employment even though she shared only one-third of the total responsibility for the children's physical custody. [7] In accord with what we said in Beaudoin, John presented more than adequate evidence to make out a prima facie case of voluntary and unreasonable underemployment. Annie concedes that she voluntarily left her job at St. Mary's. John therefore only had to show that it was unreasonable for her to change jobs. We conclude that John met his prima facie burden by showing that Annie voluntarily left St. Mary's to take a job paying approximately half what she earned before. John's prima facie case is only bolstered by evidence that Annie's reduced income may be temporary, that her work history and qualifications indicate she could be making substantially more money, and that she had significant liquid assets at her disposal from which to satisfy her child support obligation. Annie also contends that the master improperly put the burden on her to show that she traveled eighty percent of the time while working for St. Mary's, and to show that she sought, but could not find, a better paying job or a job that enabled her to use her master's degree in education. But all the evidence concerning the reasonableness of Annie's employment change was either in her control or far more available to her given that she no longer resides in Alaska; the relevant evidence would have been available to her through her own records or exclusively available to her through her employer's records. Because John met his initial burden, Annie was obliged to present evidence to rebut his prima facie case. Annie failed to do so. Once the primary custodian has made out a prima facie case of voluntary and unreasonable underemployment or unemployment the burden of persuasion shifts to the obligor to rebut that claim. The master did not err in requiring Annie to present rebuttal evidence to show that she was not unreasonably underemployed. [8]