Military divorces are not so hard once jurisdiction is decided

On behalf of Pedrick Law Group, APC posted in military divorce on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

Two of the most intense forms of serving the United States are being a member of the armed forces and being married to one. Any veteran of the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps can say that life is different when you are dealing with the insecurity of military life or loving someone subject to it.

Marriage and divorce are both complicated, and they are fortunately no more complicated than civilian proceedings in the same conditions. The most important part of the process is figuring out which jurisdiction can rule on the matter. Jurisdiction depends on legal residence in civilian and military divorces, but a service member is often stationed somewhere other than their legal residence.

Some states allow members of the military and their partners to file for divorce based on physical location. Therefore, military divorces may happen in the state where the spouse resides, the state where the service member is posted or the state where either claims legal residency.

As a result, it is important for military members and their spouses to consider the various opportunities and risks of the states that could manage their divorces. The cost of the process matters but not as much as the requirements for settling conflicts in mediation or the laws around child custody.

Service members and their spouses dealing with divorce have the right to have their interests represented in court with professional legal representation. An attorney can help people deal with the various aspects of divorce in the correct order and reduce conflict by working with other interested parties.