Going through a divorce is an emotional and overwhelming experience no matter your circumstances, but service members and military spouses have to contend with unique and confusing challenges. For example, what state should you file for divorce in? What if you can’t get to court because you’re on active duty? How will a military pension be divided? Military divorces are complex, but you can and will survive this! Here are the nine most important things you need to know if you are a service member or a military spouse contemplating divorce.
You Have Free Resources
If divorce is on the horizon, the first thing you should do is contact your legal assistance office. Servicemembers or their spouses can use the resources in this office. Through the legal assistance office, you’ll be able to meet with an attorney and get advice on topics such as:
· Child custody
· Military spousal support
· Pension division
· Taxes
· Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
· Other military divorce entitlements
It’s important to note that a legal assistance attorney cannot represent you in divorce court. You’ll need to hire an outside divorce attorney for that. They can, however, help you prepare for your divorce and are a great starting resource for all your military divorce questions.
This article is reprinted with permission from the Women's Institute for Financial Education (WIFE.org), creator of the Second Saturday Divorce Workshops. Founded in 1988, WIFE is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial education for women. Copyright 2019