DATO, J.
*221In August 2009, Tonya and Donald Pearson dissolved their marriage and entered into a Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA) in which they agreed to the division of their marital assets and that Donald would provide ongoing spousal support to Tonya. Despite this purported agreement, the parties engaged in extensive litigation, primarily initiated by Tonya, over the course of the next six years. Tonya now appeals from a postjudgment order of the superior court deciding various requests for orders to modify spousal support, adjudicate omitted assets, and award sanctions or attorney's fees.
Tonya asserts the court erred in its decision by: (1) concluding the term "bonus" in the MSA did not include certain restricted stock and relocation monies; (2) placing a cap on the amount of Donald's future bonuses available for support; (3) determining that she had the ability to work; (4) awarding Donald attorney's fees in the form of sanctions pursuant to Family Code section 2711 ; and (5) denying her request for additional needs-based attorney's fees pursuant to section 2030. With respect to most of these rulings, we conclude the court did not err. With respect to the orders modifying spousal support, we conclude the court correctly determined that Donald's increase in bonus pay constituted a change of circumstances sufficient to warrant a modification of spousal support, but that substantial evidence does not support *918certain of the court's findings regarding Tonya's ability to work. We therefore affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand the matter for limited further proceedings in accord with this opinion.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
Donald and Tonya were married for over 30 years. During their marriage, Tonya primarily stayed home with their children while Donald supported the family financially and furthered his career in the banking industry. As a bank executive, Donald received a substantial salary, as well as cash bonuses and long-term incentives in the form of stock options and restricted stock.
*222The couple separated in January 2008. Donald's annual income at the time of the separation was approximately $300,000 per year, including his base salary and annual cash bonuses. Tonya was not working at the time of the separation but obtained a job as a receptionist shortly thereafter.
The couple began negotiating the terms of the divorce and, in May 2008, vocational expert Kathleen Young provided an opinion regarding Tonya's wage-earning capacity. Young noted that Tonya was earning $15 per hour but was only working 20 hours per week in her current position, and concluded Tonya had the potential to work a full 40 hours per week while earning approximately $15-16 per hour. She opined that Tonya's earning capacity would not increase significantly with further training, but suggested Tonya ask her employer about courses within the financial industry that might provide upward mobility in her current position.
Young identified a number of available full-time positions that Tonya was qualified for, but suggested she stay in her current position for the next six months with the goal of converting it to a full-time position, as the job market was competitive and Tonya might be subject to age discrimination. Tonya's job did not become full time and, instead, she was laid off just a few months later. Thereafter, she returned to a previous employer to work part time as a retail sales associate, making $10.85 per hour.
In August 2008, Donald accepted a new position with his employer, Wells Fargo, that required him to move to Oregon. He negotiated a significant increase in his base salary, along with an agreement that Wells Fargo would provide a substantial relocation package and pay his bonus for 2008 based on his performance in his current region, as the region he was to take over was not doing as well. Tonya learned of the relocation no later than November of that same year.
Marital Settlement Agreement
After stipulating to a temporary support order, Donald and Tonya attended a mandatory settlement conference and reached an agreement regarding the division of marital assets and ongoing spousal support. Tonya's attorney read the agreement into the record and also filed a written MSA delineating the terms of the agreement. The agreement required Donald to pay Tonya spousal support in the amount of $7,500 per month plus 35 percent of "any gross bonuses received by [Donald], commencing August 15, 2009, and continuing thereafter until the death of either party or the remarriage of [Tonya], whichever occurs first, subject to the jurisdiction of the Court to alter, modify, or terminate this provision upon a proper showing having first been made to the Court." The agreement noted the spousal support was premised on *223Donald's monthly income of approximately $25,000 per month, less expenses, and an imputation of 40 hours of work per week at an hourly rate of $16 for *919Tonya. The court incorporated the written agreement into a final judgment of dissolution entered on December 8, 2009.
Thereafter, and over the course of the next five years, Tonya and Donald engaged in extensive litigation related to the MSA. Although a full review of the litigation is not necessary, we summarize certain of the intermediate proceedings relevant to Tonya's arguments before turning to the details of the August 2016 postjudgment order at issue in the present appeal.
June 2010 Request for Modification
Less than a year after the court entered the MSA, Tonya filed her first request for orders (RFO) asking the court to modify the spousal support agreement. Donald's annual bonus for 2009 had been significantly lower than previous years2 and, although it was primarily due to the poor performance of the region he had recently taken over, Tonya read some articles discussing changes to the compensation of executives in the banking industry and believed Donald may have received additional shares of restricted stock or stock options in lieu of a portion of his typical cash bonus. In addition, Tonya asserted she was only working part time for less than $15 per hour, and had been unable to find another more lucrative position. She therefore asked the court to award her additional support, and also argued the court should interpret the bonus provision in the MSA to include 35 percent of any stock options that Donald received in lieu of a cash bonus. In response, Donald filed a motion for sanctions claiming that Tonya submitted her motion to modify support in bad faith.
Judge Pollack heard the RFO and questioned Tonya about her understanding of the bonus clause at the time she agreed to the MSA. Their exchange was as follows:
"The Court: Okay, let me ask you some questions, and I'm going to tell you in a moment why I think it might be significant. In your mind, did you see bonus different than stock options? Ms. Cleary says she sees them as different concepts.
"[Tonya]: Yes, definitely.
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DATO, J.
*221In August 2009, Tonya and Donald Pearson dissolved their marriage and entered into a Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA) in which they agreed to the division of their marital assets and that Donald would provide ongoing spousal support to Tonya. Despite this purported agreement, the parties engaged in extensive litigation, primarily initiated by Tonya, over the course of the next six years. Tonya now appeals from a postjudgment order of the superior court deciding various requests for orders to modify spousal support, adjudicate omitted assets, and award sanctions or attorney's fees.
Tonya asserts the court erred in its decision by: (1) concluding the term "bonus" in the MSA did not include certain restricted stock and relocation monies; (2) placing a cap on the amount of Donald's future bonuses available for support; (3) determining that she had the ability to work; (4) awarding Donald attorney's fees in the form of sanctions pursuant to Family Code section 2711 ; and (5) denying her request for additional needs-based attorney's fees pursuant to section 2030. With respect to most of these rulings, we conclude the court did not err. With respect to the orders modifying spousal support, we conclude the court correctly determined that Donald's increase in bonus pay constituted a change of circumstances sufficient to warrant a modification of spousal support, but that substantial evidence does not support *918certain of the court's findings regarding Tonya's ability to work. We therefore affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand the matter for limited further proceedings in accord with this opinion.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
Donald and Tonya were married for over 30 years. During their marriage, Tonya primarily stayed home with their children while Donald supported the family financially and furthered his career in the banking industry. As a bank executive, Donald received a substantial salary, as well as cash bonuses and long-term incentives in the form of stock options and restricted stock.
*222The couple separated in January 2008. Donald's annual income at the time of the separation was approximately $300,000 per year, including his base salary and annual cash bonuses. Tonya was not working at the time of the separation but obtained a job as a receptionist shortly thereafter.
The couple began negotiating the terms of the divorce and, in May 2008, vocational expert Kathleen Young provided an opinion regarding Tonya's wage-earning capacity. Young noted that Tonya was earning $15 per hour but was only working 20 hours per week in her current position, and concluded Tonya had the potential to work a full 40 hours per week while earning approximately $15-16 per hour. She opined that Tonya's earning capacity would not increase significantly with further training, but suggested Tonya ask her employer about courses within the financial industry that might provide upward mobility in her current position.
Young identified a number of available full-time positions that Tonya was qualified for, but suggested she stay in her current position for the next six months with the goal of converting it to a full-time position, as the job market was competitive and Tonya might be subject to age discrimination. Tonya's job did not become full time and, instead, she was laid off just a few months later. Thereafter, she returned to a previous employer to work part time as a retail sales associate, making $10.85 per hour.
In August 2008, Donald accepted a new position with his employer, Wells Fargo, that required him to move to Oregon. He negotiated a significant increase in his base salary, along with an agreement that Wells Fargo would provide a substantial relocation package and pay his bonus for 2008 based on his performance in his current region, as the region he was to take over was not doing as well. Tonya learned of the relocation no later than November of that same year.
Marital Settlement Agreement
After stipulating to a temporary support order, Donald and Tonya attended a mandatory settlement conference and reached an agreement regarding the division of marital assets and ongoing spousal support. Tonya's attorney read the agreement into the record and also filed a written MSA delineating the terms of the agreement. The agreement required Donald to pay Tonya spousal support in the amount of $7,500 per month plus 35 percent of "any gross bonuses received by [Donald], commencing August 15, 2009, and continuing thereafter until the death of either party or the remarriage of [Tonya], whichever occurs first, subject to the jurisdiction of the Court to alter, modify, or terminate this provision upon a proper showing having first been made to the Court." The agreement noted the spousal support was premised on *223Donald's monthly income of approximately $25,000 per month, less expenses, and an imputation of 40 hours of work per week at an hourly rate of $16 for *919Tonya. The court incorporated the written agreement into a final judgment of dissolution entered on December 8, 2009.
Thereafter, and over the course of the next five years, Tonya and Donald engaged in extensive litigation related to the MSA. Although a full review of the litigation is not necessary, we summarize certain of the intermediate proceedings relevant to Tonya's arguments before turning to the details of the August 2016 postjudgment order at issue in the present appeal.
June 2010 Request for Modification
Less than a year after the court entered the MSA, Tonya filed her first request for orders (RFO) asking the court to modify the spousal support agreement. Donald's annual bonus for 2009 had been significantly lower than previous years2 and, although it was primarily due to the poor performance of the region he had recently taken over, Tonya read some articles discussing changes to the compensation of executives in the banking industry and believed Donald may have received additional shares of restricted stock or stock options in lieu of a portion of his typical cash bonus. In addition, Tonya asserted she was only working part time for less than $15 per hour, and had been unable to find another more lucrative position. She therefore asked the court to award her additional support, and also argued the court should interpret the bonus provision in the MSA to include 35 percent of any stock options that Donald received in lieu of a cash bonus. In response, Donald filed a motion for sanctions claiming that Tonya submitted her motion to modify support in bad faith.
Judge Pollack heard the RFO and questioned Tonya about her understanding of the bonus clause at the time she agreed to the MSA. Their exchange was as follows:
"The Court: Okay, let me ask you some questions, and I'm going to tell you in a moment why I think it might be significant. In your mind, did you see bonus different than stock options? Ms. Cleary says she sees them as different concepts.
"[Tonya]: Yes, definitely.
"The Court: Why 'definitely'? Why is that different?
*224"[Tonya]: Because a bonus is something you get every year, you have to cash them out. Stock option is something you got every year.
"The Court: But at the time you entered into this agreement, 35 percent of any bonuses, you were thinking the year-end cash bonus?
"[Tonya]: Yes.
"The Court: And you were not thinking of stock options, exercising stock options?
"[Tonya]: I asked about the stock options. I don't-I was-only thought that I could get the ones that were awarded during the marriage, that was my understanding.
"The Court: All right. I want to be clear on this then. 35 percent of gross bonuses that you agreed to, in your mind, you felt that was 35 percent of the year-end cash bonus as opposed to 35 percent of the stock options; is that correct?
"[Tonya]: Well, I knew there was a difference, but as I tried-we had used cash from stock options to live the last seven years.
"The Court: Well, that wasn't my question. I'm trying to go into your state of *920mind at the time you signed this agreement, when you agreed to 7500 per month, plus 35 percent of gross bonuses, did you think the gross bonuses were limited to the year-end cash payment?
"[Tonya]: Yes.
"The Court: Okay. All right.
"[Tonya]: I was not aware I could get the other."
Judge Pollack issued a written decision on the RFO in February 2012. He found that Tonya was aware Donald had accepted a new position and a relocation package at the time of the agreement, such that any related payments Donald received would have been included in the MSA as arrears. Similarly, he concluded that any amounts due to Tonya related to stock options Donald received between separation and August 15, 2009, would have been included in the MSA as arrearages, as the MSA divided the options received before the date of separation. Based on her testimony at trial, the court found that Tonya understood the term "bonus" in the MSA to refer specifically to the year-end cash bonus Donald typically received, and not the *225stock options. Thus, by terms of the parties' own agreement, stock options received after entry of the MSA were Donald's separate property and were not bonus income.
Addressing spousal support more generally, Judge Pollack found that the marital standard of living at the time of separation had been $300,000 per year, that Tonya continued to earn approximately the same wages as she did at the time she negotiated the MSA, and that as a result there had been no material change in circumstances sufficient to justify a change in spousal support. Finally, the court denied Donald's motion for sanctions and awarded Tonya $10,000 in attorney's fees and costs pursuant to section 2030-compensating her for only a portion of the $44,000 in fees she accrued in connection with the RFO.
Dispute Regarding the Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)
In 2012, another dispute arose regarding the division of stock options as set forth in the MSA. Donald's attorney had prepared qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) to split the 401(k) plan funds accumulated prior to the separation, and Tonya's attorney requested several changes. Although Donald's attorney attempted to incorporate the changes, the parties failed to reach an agreement and Donald filed a request for an order to have an Elisor appointed to sign the QDROs on Tonya's behalf. Tonya opposed Donald's request and asserted that the QDROs did not fairly account for all of the 401(k) funds, but was unable to effectively explain her concerns to the court. Judge Pollack heard the motion and appointed the Elisor. Thereafter, Donald submitted the signed QDROs to Wells Fargo, but Wells Fargo rejected them as they contained language inconsistent with the retirement plan's guidelines.
January 2013 RFO Seeking a Modification to Spousal Support
In January 2013, Tonya filed another RFO in which she again sought to modify spousal support. She also asked the court to adjudicate omitted assets, to appoint a special master to perform an accounting and determine the marital standard of living, and to award her attorney's fees and costs. Tonya explained that her physician had diagnosed her as having bilateral osteoarthritis in both hands, she had left her employment as a sales associate in October 2012 as a result (subject to a worker's compensation claim), and she was unsure when, or if, she would be able to return to work. She stated she was currently unable *921to meet all of her monthly financial obligations-which included a first and second mortgage on the family home she received *226pursuant to the MSA3 and monthly payments on a number of credit cards-but also declared that she had over $400,000 in assets and still expected to receive 50 percent of Donald's various 401(k) accounts.
In response, Donald argued that Tonya's claims were baseless because Judge Pollack had already decided the same issues in the February 2012 Statement of Decision and that the RFO was a continuation of "her persistent and endless litigation over the same issues." He therefore asked the court to sanction Tonya pursuant to section 271.
In a supplemental declaration, Tonya asserted that Donald failed to disclose certain marital assets and, in a subsequent related pleading, she again claimed that Wells Fargo was providing a portion of his bonus in the form of stock instead of cash and that Donald had concealed associated changes to his bonus plan. Donald denied hiding any assets or changes to his bonus plan. He conceded that his base pay and bonuses had increased since separation but asserted there was no basis for Tonya to claim a share of his increased earnings post-separation because the MSA fairly accounted for the marital standard of living at the time of the separation. He alleged Tonya had not worked full time since their separation, despite the imputation of income based on working 40 hours per week in the MSA; that Tonya's employer had denied her disability claim; and that he had recently witnessed her driving and holding an umbrella for an extended period without a wrist guard. He argued there was no justification for an increase in spousal support, and instead asked the court to decrease the amount of spousal support and award him sanctions under section 271 based on Tonya's consistent and "vexatious" litigation.
May 2013 RFO to Set Aside the QDROs and Motion to Dismiss Previous RFOs
In May 2013, Tonya filed an RFO asking the court to set aside the Elisor-signed QDROs based on her allegations that Donald had hidden certain 401(k) accounts. She also requested an award of sanctions pursuant to section 271 and needs-based attorney's fees and costs. In August, she filed an ex parte request to dismiss her January 2013 RFO, explaining that the parties had resolved their disputes as to many of the allegedly omitted assets. She maintained her most recent request that the previously executed QDROs be set aside. Donald opposed the dismissal, based on the history of litigation between the parties, and the court denied Tonya's request.
*227December 2013 Ex Parte Request for Fees
In December 2013, Tonya filed another RFO for needs-based attorney's fees, asserting that she needed $100,000 to obtain an attorney prior to the evidentiary hearing on her other pending RFOs. Judge Powazek heard the request in early 2014 and, after considering the extensive history of contentious litigation between the parties and their relative financial capabilities, awarded Tonya $15,000 toward "her reasonable attorney's fees necessary to litigate only the issues before the court." Thereafter, the court closed discovery and set a long-cause hearing for September 2014 to address Tonya's remaining RFOs. Around the same time, Donald accepted another promotion and relocation, which *922included another substantial increase in pay and a generous relocation package.
RFO to Reopen Discovery , Continue the Trial Date , and Revisit Judge Pollack's 2012 Statement of Decision
In August, a month before the scheduled long-cause hearing, Tonya filed another RFO asking the court to continue the trial date and reopen discovery, based primarily on allegations that Donald had concealed information and Wells Fargo had produced false information in response to her subpoenas. She also filed a second RFO asking the court for a "judgment different than that announced," to correct a clerical error, and for additional attorney's fees and costs. Tonya claimed she never received a copy of Judge Pollack's February 2012 Statement of Decision or any associated findings and orders after hearing. She asked that the court reconsider the decision and argued it was erroneous because Donald had concealed information regarding his accounts and assets and Judge Pollack had improperly relied on the MSA to determine the marital standard of living. Regarding the clerical error, she asserted the parties had stipulated in 2009, before entry of the MSA, that Donald would pay her 35 percent of any bonus payment received that year, but the related order, also entered before the MSA, left out the words "this year".
The case was assigned to Judge Oberholtzer. A hearing was set to address Tonya's latest RFOs with the pending RFOs to modify support, conduct an accounting, and for sanctions to trail. Judge Oberholtzer concluded that Judge Pollack's February 2012 Statement of Decision was a final order and denied Tonya's request to correct the alleged clerical error in the earlier 2009 order. He also denied Tonya's request to reopen discovery and found that the pending issues were "not that complex." He awarded Tonya an additional $15,000 in attorney's fees and continued the trial on the remaining RFOs from September to November 2014.
*228Evidentiary Hearing
After further delays, in August 2015 Judge Oberholtzer held an evidentiary hearing on Tonya's RFOs to modify spousal support and for an accounting, as well as the associated competing requests for sanctions. At the hearing, Tonya testified that when she previously testified she thought "bonus" in the MSA meant Donald's cash bonuses, she was including any money he received from cashing in stock as well. She conceded, though, that she was essentially asserting the same claim as she made before Judge Pollack, and also testified that she was on medication and thus was not thinking clearly when she answered Judge Pollack's questions at the previous hearing.
Regarding her medical condition, Tonya testified that she began experiencing pain sometime in 2010 and began seeing Dr. Gelb in October 2012. She stopped working after her first appointment with Dr. Gelb based on his recommendation. She stated it was painful to open doors, handle papers, pinch, grasp, pick up money or do several other tasks. She admitted she had not made efforts to find a job that would accommodate her medical condition, but also indicated she was not aware of any such jobs given the array of issues she was facing.
Dr. Gelb also testified regarding Tonya's medical condition and the related limitations. When asked about her ability to type on a keyboard, Dr. Gelb stated she could probably do so, but that she had small joint arthritis in her fingers and the pain in her thumbs would be aggravated by the use of the space bar. He said she would need to do a work evaluation with an occupational *923therapist to determine more specifically how and for how long she could use a keyboard. Ultimately, he concluded the totality of her numerous ailments, many of which had been objectively verified by clinical findings, made her ability to perform any work (other than sedentary work that did not require any manipulation of her hands) extremely limited.
Donald testified that he did not believe Wells Fargo made any significant changes to the structure of the bonus programs applicable to him since the date of his separation from Tonya, and that he had never received restricted stock or any other form of payment other than cash in connection with his annual bonus. In addition, he stated that his compensation, including his bonus plans, followed the same structure as other individuals at Wells Fargo with the same position in different locations. He explained that his compensation package changed along with his job title when he moved to Oregon, and that his bonus the first year was unusually low due to the market and the performance of his region, but that his base salary and bonuses increased thereafter due to his promotions.
*229Judge Oberholtzer's January 2016 Statement of Decision
Judge Oberholtzer issued a written statement of decision-the decision Tonya now challenges on appeal-in January 2016. He found that there had been some confusion about the 401(k) funds, and specifically that both parties lost track of certain nonqualified plans that had been split off from the qualified plans, but that Donald had not intentionally concealed any funds and Tonya had been aware of their existence for some time. While the QDROs that the Elisor signed did not properly divide all of the funds, the court noted that the discrepancy could have been resolved much sooner if Tonya had clearly explained the issue and the parties had taken the time to examine one another's objections. Thus, the court found the errors in the QDROs were the result of a mistake, both parties shared some of the blame, and there were no intentionally omitted assets.
Regarding the term "bonus," the court explained that a spousal support order setting a fixed monthly support amount as well as a percentage of an annual bonus was a common arrangement as set forth in Marriage of Ostler & Smith (1990) 223 Cal.App.3d 33, 40, 272 Cal.Rptr. 560 ( Ostler & Smith ). Thus, in this context, the term "bonus" typically refers to "additional remuneration paid to an employee for meeting or exceeding performance goals in the past" and is distinguishable from stock options. Thus, although the court acknowledged that "bonus" could have a broader meaning in other contexts, it concluded the term referred only to a variable performance bonus in the context of the MSA in this case. Further, the court noted Tonya's testimony confirming that, at the time she agreed to the MSA, she interpreted the bonus provision in a manner consistent with the court's interpretation of the term. Accordingly, Judge Oberholtzer determined that the term "bonus" excluded both the restricted stock rights Donald received as part of a long-term incentive plan and the relocation monies he received in accordance with his promotions.
As to spousal support more generally, the court found there was a change of circumstances necessitating a modification of spousal support, not because of Tonya's inability to work but rather because of the significant increase in bonus pay that Donald had received following his two promotions. The court therefore modified the provision of the MSA requiring Donald to pay 35 percent of any bonus to Tonya as spousal support by setting a cap of *924$250,000 on the amount of Donald's annual bonus available for support.
With respect to Tonya's ability to work, the court went on to address the factors set forth in section 4320. In that context, it found that Tonya had not followed up on the recommendations for acquiring additional skills set forth in the 2008 vocational evaluation, and that her treating orthopedic surgeon, *230Dr. Gelb, did not agree she was unable to work. The court conceded that Dr. Gelb had testified Tonya had some limitations, but found that Tonya had no restrictions using a keyboard, nothing precluded her from working full time, and most of her complaints could be ameliorated by surgery. The court also addressed the remaining section 4320 factors, noting specifically that spending had been a source of friction throughout the marriage and that it appeared Tonya had continued to overspend after the marriage despite her limited ability to work. Thus, the court declined to make any modifications to the spousal support beyond the cap on Donald's bonuses.
Regarding sanctions, the court noted that Tonya had repetitively filed motions and then tried to dismiss them after much of the preparation was done only to refile the same motion again later. It documented its conclusions in this regard by attaching a list of Tonya's various motions over the years. Regarding the QDROs, the court found that Tonya had available to her all of the information necessary to resolve the issue but instead chose to accuse Donald of fraud and engage in frivolous litigation. Thus, the court sanctioned Tonya pursuant to section 271 in the amount of $50,000. To avoid imposing an unreasonable financial burden on Tonya, the court permitted Donald to withhold $25,000 per year from the amount he paid as her share of the annual bonus, to begin only after she paid off additional amounts owed to him in a similar manner.
Concerning needs-based attorney's fees and costs, the court reiterated that Tonya had engaged in unnecessary litigation and that she had already been awarded $15,000 as the amount reasonably necessary to pursue her claims. Therefore, the court declined to award Tonya any additional attorney's fees or costs.
DISCUSSION
I.-II.