Begin with the work that changed
List canceled, delayed, or reassigned jobs individually. For each, record the contract or booking, expected work dates, expected payment, what actually happened, and the supporting documents. Distinguish a confirmed engagement from a potential lead that had not become work.
The California Courts’ pre-lawsuit information emphasizes evidence for a monetary claim. For self-employed work, the useful records may be contracts, invoices, accounting entries, and correspondence rather than a standard employer letter.
Show revenue and expenses separately
Consider a fictional $3,000 job that would have required $900 in materials and $400 in subcontracting. Canceling the job does not necessarily create a $3,000 earnings loss. If those costs were avoided, the accounting picture differs from a job for which materials had already been purchased and could not be returned.
If you hired a replacement worker and completed the job, record the replacement cost and actual revenue. Do not also count the entire invoice as lost revenue without explaining the overlap. A lawyer or accountant can help determine the appropriate measure under the relevant circumstances.
Explain the baseline honestly
Compare a representative period with the affected period and identify seasonality, new contracts, price changes, or other events that could explain the difference. A lower bank balance alone does not prove why income changed. Deposits may reflect work performed weeks earlier.
Use a reconciliation table: expected work, actual outcome, revenue difference, avoided expenses, added expenses, and uncertainty. Keep tax records and customer identifiers private when sharing a working summary.
Ask for help where the calculation becomes complex
Future earning effects, business goodwill, and long-term capacity are different questions from one canceled invoice. Avoid extending a short disruption into a lifetime projection without appropriate support.
Bring the records and your method to a qualified professional, including the assumptions you could not resolve. If cost is a barrier, USAGov lists affordable legal help options. The aim is a transparent calculation that can be checked, not the largest number that can be produced by multiplying a busy month across a year.