A vocational expert evaluates a person's earning capacity, employability, job skills, labor market access, and reasonable employment options. In Arizona family law vocational experts are most commonly used in spousal maintenance cases where one spouse's attributed income is disputed and in child support cases where a parent's earning capacity is at issue.

A vocational expert typically reviews educational and employment history, conducts an assessment of the person's skills and capabilities, researches the available job market, and reaches a conclusion about what the person could realistically earn.

Vocational experts frequently testify on opposing sides with meaningfully different income conclusions. The difference between the two experts' attributed income figures can represent tens of thousands of dollars in annual support obligations.