Legal Question in Family Law in California

It is basically the same as what the tax man says. If it goes on his income tax return, it's income. If that would result in inequity, however, the court has the power to deviate from guideline support calculations. So, for example, if a parent chooses to work for minimum wage and take the rest of their pay in deferred compensation that doesn't hit this year's tax forms, the court can impute the current income value of the deferred compensation. Bottom line: when it's not all straight paycheck income, it gets complicated quickly. Best to invest in an attorney at that point.