For military families
Military divorce and custody
A divorce where one or both spouses serve follows the usual rules and then a second set: pay, benefits, deployments and moves that ordinary forms never anticipated.
We handle divorce, custody, support and settlement agreements for service members and their spouses. We plan for what a deployment or a change of station does to a parenting schedule, and we read the retired-pay, survivor-benefit and health-care rules before anyone signs.
We help with
Divorce and legal separation
Parenting plans that survive a deployment
Child and spousal support, with the military's pay rules in view
Division of retired pay and survivor benefits
Health coverage after the marriage ends
What is different
Six places a service marriage ends differently
Any one of these can change a settlement. All six are on our checklist before the first draft.
Deployments and custody
A plan that names who cares for the children while a parent is away, and how time is made up when they return.
Retired pay
Courts may treat it as property to be shared. How much depends on the length of the marriage and of service.
Where to file
When spouses live in different states or posts, where the case begins can shape what it decides.
Timing and delay
Federal law can let a service member ask a court to pause a case while duty makes it hard to take part.
Health coverage
Whether a former spouse keeps military health coverage turns on how the dates of marriage and service overlap.
Housing and moves
What happens to base housing, a lease or a pending move should be written down, not assumed.
Questions
What spouses and service members ask
Can a divorce be delayed because of deployment?
A service member can ask the court to pause a case while military duty keeps them from taking part. How long a pause lasts depends on the facts. We tell you what to ask for.
Is retired pay divided in a divorce?
It can be treated as property to be shared. The rules turn on the length of the marriage and of service, so bring your dates.
Who gets custody if one of us deploys?
Parents can agree on a plan that covers a deployment, and courts generally prefer a plan to a guess. We write plans that say who decides, who cares for the child and how time is made up.
Will I keep health coverage?
It depends on how long the marriage overlapped with service and on what comes after. We check your dates before you agree to anything.
Do we have to go to court?
Some couples settle by agreement or in mediation and the court approves the result. We will tell you honestly whether yours can.
Plan for the move before it moves you
A short call with the lawyer nearest you is enough to learn where your case would be filed and what it should cover.
Please don't send confidential details by email or form; we will ask for them on the call.