Divorce is almost never a quick, painless and easy process, but for people in the military and their spouses, divorce can easily become complicated. Not only will the couple have to worry about state laws, but they will have to consider military rules as well.
As with any Arizona divorce, spouses ending their marriage while one is an active member of the military will have to either reach an agreement or go to court regarding how they split their property and debts. If they have children, custody arrangements are also a necessary part of the divorce.
There will be many more issues that the couple will likely have to address due to the military career of one spouse, which is why military divorce is often more complex than civilian divorce.
There are pay and benefit implications to a military divorce
One of the factors that influences the amount of pay and benefits a military service member receives is their marital status and the size of their family. Married service members receive additional pay and housing benefits. Additionally, their spouses and children typically qualify for military medical benefits.
A military service member going through a divorce will likely have to deal with a decrease in their pay while simultaneously incurring additional expenses, including child support. Beyond that, depending on how the divorce unfolds, there may be issues regarding insurance that the couple will have to address. Pension benefits accrued during the marriage will likely get split as well.
Custody decisions become more complicated with a parent in the military
In general, the Arizona family courts try to do what’s best for kids during a divorce. They usually try their hardest to create arrangements for both parents to play a substantial role in the lives of the kids.
While a typical parenting plan will discuss the division of custody and parental responsibilities, including how to handle holidays and other special events, military parenting plans may need to include information. For example, it may be necessary to include virtual visitation provisions in case the service member is no longer able to physically interact with the children due to a deployment.
Those in the military may have to pay more child support when they can’t spend time with their children, due to the increased costs for their ex. Additionally, the service member will usually have to file an updated Family Care Plan with their chain of command reflecting their new family circumstances.
