What Should You Expect If Your Spouse Has Asked You To Take A Vocational Assessment In Your Collaborative Divorce?

There are various steps that you have to go through during a collaborative divorce. When talking to you about your divorce, your spouse might have asked you to undergo a vocational assessment. You could be wondering what this means and what you should expect from the assessment. These are some of the things you probably want to know.

You May Not Have to Take One

If your spouse has asked you to take a vocational assessment, it could be because they are worried that they will be ordered to pay spousal maintenance payments to you after the divorce. Basically, they may be asking you to have the assessment done to either avoid making these payments or to keep these payments as low as possible. Since you are involved in a collaborative divorce, however, there's a good chance that you and your spouse are on civil speaking terms and that you are willing to cooperate with them about various things. If you don't intend to ask for spousal maintenance, you can let your spouse know about this. Then, they might not encourage you to take the assessment, since this might have been the primary or only reason why they asked you to take one in the first place.

It Should Be Done by a Consultant

If you do end up taking a vocational assessment, you should know that it will typically be done by a vocational consultant. This is a third-party individual who is supposed to be unbiased toward you and your spouse. 

Various Things Will Be Looked At

There are a few things that are looked at during a vocational assessment. The primary purpose of the assessment is to determine your earning ability. The consultant will look at things like your age and physical health. They'll probably ask how long it has been since you have worked if you aren't currently in the workforce. They might ask about your education level, work experience, and other related matters. Then, they will look at all of these things—as well as outside factors, such as the availability of jobs in your area and the average wages that are paid for jobs that you would potentially qualify for—to determine your earning potential.

If your spouse has asked you to take a vocational assessment in your collaborative divorce, you shouldn't panic. These assessments aren't too difficult, and the consultant who is conducting the assessment should help you out along the way.

Contact a collaborative divorce vocational consultant for more information.