What is military divorce? In the state of Arizona, Military divorce describes the overlay of law and circumstance, something unique to marriages where either spouse is a service member or military retiree. Numerous state and federal laws apply whenever civil court proceedings involve members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Be sure to read this article in its entirety if you, your spouse, or the other parent is or was in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, National Guard, Reserves, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), or Public Health Service (PHS).
Every military divorce will have its challenges, whether filed in Arizona or some other jurisdiction. Contested divorce or uncontested divorce, the divorce process can be stressful and very emotional. Preparing for court proceedings, obtaining legal representation, having a legal strategy, knowing your rights and responsibilities, these will all go a long way toward obtaining the best possible results in your military divorce. Contact a Phoenix divorce lawyer today to schedule a free consultation.
Military Divorce Lawyer in Arizona: Why Experience Matters
Divorce is never an easy process, but for those in the military, it can be especially complex with unique challenges and regulations. In a state like Arizona, which has a significant military presence with multiple military bases, it is crucial for service members and their spouses to seek the assistance of an experienced military divorce lawyer when navigating this difficult time.
A Unique Set of Challenges
Military divorces differ from civilian divorces in various ways, which adds to the complexity of the process. Some of these differences include:
- Jurisdiction: Determining the appropriate jurisdiction for filing a military divorce can be complicated, as service members may be stationed in different states or countries. An experienced military divorce lawyer will be well-versed in the intricacies of jurisdiction, helping clients establish the best course of action.
- Military Benefits: The division of military benefits, such as pensions (under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act), healthcare, and other spousal privileges, often require a knowledgeable attorney who understands the specific rules and regulations surrounding these benefits.
- Child Custody and Visitation: Military families are frequently on the move, which can make child custody and visitation agreements challenging to arrange. A skilled military divorce lawyer will take into account factors such as relocation and deployment to create an equitable parenting plan that prioritizes the best interests of the children involved.
The Importance of an Experienced Military Divorce Lawyer
Given the unique challenges that military divorces present, it is essential to work with a lawyer who specializes in this particular area of family law. A competent military divorce lawyer in Arizona will be able to:
- Navigate Complex Military Regulations: A firm understanding of military rules and regulations, as well as state and federal family law, is necessary to ensure a just outcome in a military divorce case. An experienced attorney will help their clients understand their rights and obligations under these guidelines.
- Accurately Determine Entitlements: In a military divorce case, both parties may be entitled to various benefits and assets. An experienced lawyer can accurately assess each party’s entitlements and help them get a fair share of the property and financial assets in the divorce.
- Negotiate Fair Settlements: Military divorces often involve negotiations that demand a deep understanding of military life and culture. An experienced attorney can be invaluable in achieving settlements that protect their client’s interests, recognizing the sacrifices made by both military personnel and their spouses.
- Support and Guidance: Going through a divorce while serving in the military or being married to a service member is an emotionally taxing experience. A compassionate and experienced lawyer will provide the necessary support, guidance, and resources to help their clients make informed decisions and advocate for their best interests throughout the divorce process.
Military divorce cases are not one-size-fits-all; each situation requires a tailored approach that considers the unique challenges military families face. By engaging the services of an experienced military divorce lawyer in Arizona, clients can ensure a smoother process, fairer settlements, and the knowledge that their rights and interests are being protected.
Filing for a Military Divorce in Arizona
Where your case is filed does matter in a military divorce. The filing state’s laws control child custody and child support, spousal maintenance, and property division. On the latter, divorce requires distributing all marital property between the spouses, not just that which is located within the state where the case is filed. The process of dividing property in a military divorce is often complicated by the value, location, and nature of what is being divided. Say, for example, the divorce is filed in North Carolina with the military spouse stationed at Fort Bragg – marital assets and debts are divided according to equitable distribution law. By contrast, a divorce filed in Arizona with the military spouse stationed at Fort Huachuca means community property law applies and division is approximately equal. Before filing for divorce in Arizona, jurisdiction should be established. Where to file your military divorce depends upon where spouses reside or are stationed.
There are three possibilities:
- The service member’s state of residence. The military spouse’s state of legal residency (or domicile) is the place he or she intends to return to when discharged from service or upon retirement.
- Where the service member is stationed. For either spouse to file in Arizona, one must be a permanent Arizona resident or been domiciled here for at least 90 days. When a service member is stationed in Arizona, military presence for 90 days in this state should satisfy jurisdiction. ARS § 25-312.
- If living in different states, then file where the civilian spouse resides. Military families are often separated by substantial distances for extended periods. For example, a civilian spouse may reside in Arizona while the military spouse is stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (claiming Ohio for purposes of legal residency). Typically, when the civilian spouse lives in one state and the service member in another, divorce is filed where the civilian lives. When jurisdiction is proper in Arizona, the petition for dissolution of marriage is filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court in Maricopa County or another county. Visit the discussion about basic court procedures and navigating Arizona divorce.
Competing Divorce Petitions
If the service member spouse filed for divorce in another state and the civilian-respondent was served in Arizona, can the civilian spouse file for divorce in Arizona after having been served already? Yes. The jurisdictional rules for Arizona require a party to have lived in the state for 90 consecutive days and any minor child to have lived in the state for six consecutive months. The rules for military members getting divorced can be different, though. A service member can typically file in his or her state of domicile even when that is not the place where the service member has lived recently. ARS § 25-312(1). A service member need not be stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, David Monthan Air Force Base, Camp Navajo Army Base, or Fort Huachuca Army Base for a military divorce to be filed in Arizona. Stewart Law Group provides representation in family law and divorce cases filed in Arizona where clients are stationed here, in other states, or outside the U.S. or overseas.
Challenges of Service of Process in Military Divorce
If the civilian spouse files for divorce in Arizona, then the military spouse must be personally served with the summons and petition. When the service member is deployed in a war zone or overseas, personal service can be very difficult. With the service member on base or aboard ship, military regulations must also be complied with. A private process server cannot simply come aboard to serve a sailor with the summons and complaint! Furthermore, if a service member is stationed in a foreign country, then personal service must satisfy that country’s laws. Foreign service of process must be performed in a manner that complies with the Hague Convention or controlling international treaty. An experienced military divorce attorney will determine how service of process must be completed.
Military Divorce and SCRA
Distance and military duty can interrupt and interfere with settlement negotiations and court proceedings. That is precisely why the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) protects the rights of active duty service members who, because of their assignments, are prevented from fully and fairly participating in a pending divorce or other civil lawsuits. 50 USC §§ 3901, et seq. The SCRA protects active-duty military who have been served with process in a divorce, bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosure, or other civil lawsuits. Civil and administrative proceedings can be suspended for active duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and certain activated service members in the National Guard, NOAA, and Public Health Service. The SCRA stay ensures service members focus on military duties knowing they will have the opportunity to appear, advocate, and defend themselves in the lawsuit later when their assignments allow. When uncertain whether provisions of the SCRA or an exception to the general rule might apply in your case, consult an experienced military divorce lawyer about your specific circumstances.
Importantly, the SCRA protects the service member from a default judgment in divorce proceedings. Without the SCRA, an Arizona court’s default judgment may be entered against the respondent in two situations:
- When the respondent signed an Acceptance of Service, but did not file an answer
- When the respondent was served the summons and divorce papers according to law, but did not plead, appear, answer, or in any way defend himself or herself in court.
Under the SCRA, a military spouse may avoid default divorce by requesting the proceedings be suspended for up to 90 days after leaving active service. This is to give the service member additional time to respond to the divorce petition and prepare for trial. What if the service member fails to invoke the SCRA? Before the Arizona judge will enter a default judgment, the petitioner must file an affidavit of military service regarding the respondent’s active duty status. This affidavit is a sworn statement that, to the best of the affiant-petitioner s knowledge and belief, the respondent either is or is not on military active duty or, in the alternative, petitioner is unable to determine the respondent-spouse’s military status. When spouses separate and do not communicate, for example, the petitioner may be left in the dark regarding the other spouse’s deployment. There is a criminal fine and imprisonment upon conviction of making a false affidavit of military service to obtain a default judgment of divorce. See 50 U.S.C. App. § 521(c). To get proceedings suspended under the SCRA, the service member must provide a statement that military duty prevents participation and appearance in court, including a date when he or she will be available. Alternatively, the Commander may provide a similar statement with language to the effect that leave is not authorized. Depending upon how long the military spouse is deployed, provisions in the SCRA can delay lawsuits for over a year. Be mindful that proceedings can be suspended, but not canceled.
Service Member’s Status Unknown
What happens if the respondent-spouse’s military status cannot be determined? The court has options under the SCRA. For one, the judge could require that petitioner file bond to indemnify the respondent against loss or damage resulting from the default judgment. If the defendant is known to be on active duty, then the judge should withhold entry of a default decree of divorce until after an attorney is appointed to represent the service member in absentia. Additionally, a default judgment could be reopened by the court under certain circumstances. The service member may apply to the court to reopen the case when:
- The judgment was against the service member or the judgment was entered within 60 days after the military service ended
- The service member’s defense was prejudiced because of military service
- The service member shows the defense he or she would offer has merit. Reopening the default judgment to allow the service member a fair opportunity to present a meritorious defense is an important SCRA protection.
Was a default judgment entered against you? An attorney with Stewart Law Group can review your options.
Arizona Child Custody in Military Divorce
With child custody in Arizona, the court must determine legal decision-making and parenting time in the best interests of the child. A parenting plan is required and would include a parenting time schedule with virtual visitation for the deployed service member. Be mindful that an SCRA stay could delay child custody proceedings, although it may not prevent the civilian parent from obtaining temporary custody in the interim. If you have minor children, then read our child custody articles on parenting plans and the role of mediators, child custody evaluators, and parenting coordinators in these cases. We also offer valuable information about the required parent education program class, what it takes to modify child custody after divorce, visitation rights of grandparents and third parties, and other essentials. Contested child custody proceedings are possible with any divorce. Heightened emotions can make it difficult for parents to negotiate the details of a parenting plan. In military divorce cases, custody proceedings may also expand under the Hague Convention and Arizona’s Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). The U.S. is a member of the Hague Convention which controls many inter-country domestic relations matters. Among other things, the Hague Convention controls international recognition of divorce and legal separation, child custody, parent abduction of a child, recovery of child support, and service of process. The jurisdictional laws implicated in military divorce are sometimes difficult for parents, attorneys, and judges alike to interpret. Establishing Arizona as the child’s home state under the UCCJEA and dealing with international child custody orders issued by foreign governments are two examples of why that is so. With service members relocating frequently, asserting home state jurisdiction over the child may be difficult. In some instances, the other parent has left Arizona with the child and moved to a different state while the service member was deployed. The question then becomes one of whether the Arizona court has authority to enter child custody orders. The UCCJEA offers four ways for the Arizona court to establish jurisdiction over a child custody matter, as discussed in Child Custody and the UCCJEA. When a child is present in Arizona, the court could exercise emergency jurisdiction and enter temporary emergency custody orders even if there is a divorce pending in another state. Under the UCCJEA, emergency jurisdiction can only be invoked when the child is present in the state and has been abandoned, among other possibilities. However, abandonment does not include a military parent’s decision to leave his or her child in the care of a new spouse, grandparent, or another caretaker who is not the child’s other parent.
When are military duties incompatible with parenting duties?
Many service members train in the field for extended periods or are deployed overseas often enough to have no real ability to maintain a parenting schedule. The question for these military parents is whether they really want to devote resources to obtaining equal parenting time and joint legal decision-making knowing there will be no continuity to their parenting. The court considers a parent’s ability to provide a stable home for the child. The service member should carefully consider what custody orders are reasonable, even possible, when active duty and deployment are controlling circumstances. This is an important discussion to have with an experienced military divorce attorney. What can parents do to arrange temporary custody during deployment? One option is filing consent orders transferring custody prior to deployment. Before the service member mobilizes, seek a consent order transferring custody to the civilian parent for the duration of deployment. Even when divorce is pending, this can be the better option for the child. The order is based on an agreement between the parties to transfer custody to the other parent before mobilization and transfer custody back after mobilization ends. When the service member returns, the child is immediately returned to him or her. The consent order would include a description of the deployment circumstances necessitating the custody transfer and a date when the service member expects to return. So this does not inadvertently become a permanent custody transfer, discuss it with a child custody attorney in Phoenix.
Military Family Support
Family support in divorce means spousal maintenance and child support orders. Spousal maintenance may be requested by either party. The spouses can agree to an amount of financial support and include terms in their separation agreement or, if spousal support is contested, the issue may proceed to trial. With the passage of the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act (USFSPA), a federal statute, spousal maintenance awards in military divorce are more restrictive. Special rules apply. Before moving on to child support, a few words about health insurance coverage for a former spouse or child. If a service member is insured through an employer but is now active duty military, the employer’s health care coverage may be continued for up to 18 months by continuing to pay the insurance premiums. Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), anyone covered under the health insurance plan, including a spouse, may make the premium payments to continue coverage. That is so, even if the service member decides not to continue paying premiums for self-coverage. Additionally, an 18-month extension is possible with certain qualifying events for a maximum continuation coverage period of 36 months. A Phoenix family law lawyer can help navigate and evaluate your legal options in potential family litigation matters.
Calculating Child Support
In all family law cases, child support orders go hand-in-hand with child custody determinations. Every parent has a duty to support his or her natural or adopted child living in Arizona or elsewhere when not emancipated. ARS § 25-501. Sometimes child support requires paternity establishment proceedings with DNA testing (fathers working to establishing paternity sometimes wish to recruit a male divorce attorney specifically for fathers rights matters). Always look to the Arizona Child Support Guidelines to begin calculating child support. With minor children of service members, there are additional support issues to consider, such as:
- What service pay is included as gross income when calculating child support? Free on-base housing may be counted as income if it significantly reduces the service member’s personal living expenses. Patterson v. Patterson (Ariz. Ct. App. Feb. 10, 2011). One-time military bonus pay and locality adjustment pay may also be included in a service member’s gross income for child support purposes.
- What are the impact on parenting time and child support obligations when the parent is deployed?
- How is child support determined for a child residing overseas with the other parent? When ready to start working on child support obligations, input the parents’ income data, number of children in the home, and parenting time schedules using our FREE Child Support Calculator (or download the app to your smartphone). Strive for an arrangement that is in your child’s best interests and satisfies mandatory Guidelines. This is a good place to begin negotiating parenting time, too, and will help you develop a custody strategy with your attorney.
Enforcing Child Support and Spousal Support Obligations
If family support for a spouse or child is not paid, then the dependent spouse may complain directly to the service member’s Commander. Straightforward and inexpensive, this approach may be sufficient to get payments flowing again. Why? Because the service member who fails to support a family violates military regulations – the Commander enforces regulation compliance. A service member may be reprimanded (a permanent stain on his or her service record), have pay forfeited, or be criminally sanctioned for noncompliance with military regulations. The Commander may schedule support payments going forward, prospectively, from the date the complaint was received, but cannot enforce support arrearages. The military spouse may request the Commander relieve him or her from the obligation to provide interim spousal support. Relief is typically based on allegations:
- The service member was the victim of domestic violence by the other spouse.
- The other spouse’s gross monthly income exceeded the service member’s.
- The other spouse received the requisite support from the service member for a long time.
- The other spouse received additional payments from the service member, such that the Commander credits the service member for regular and recurring payments (for example, car payments and home mortgage payments) already maintaining the other spouse.
- The spouses have lived separately and apart for a year or longer.
Garnishment and Involuntary Allotment of Service Member’s Pay
If there is an order for spousal maintenance and the obligor is the service member, then the order may be enforced through garnishment and involuntary allotment when necessary. The same is true with court-ordered child support. The service member’s pay cannot be garnished by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) without a court withholding order that directs collection of support and any arrearage. Thus, the better approach is to seek orders for child support and spousal maintenance even if only temporary. With those support orders, DFAS can begin garnishing the service member’s pay with involuntary allotment used to collect arrearages. Involuntary allotment allows DFAS to withhold funds to pay past due support from a service member’s disposable pay and housing allowance. Provide DFAS with the support order and evidence of at least two months arrears. When a veteran receives military retirement pay and waives part in exchange for VA disability, those VA disability payments may be garnished to satisfy child support obligations. (The story is quite different with spousal support, or alimony. Check-out our discussion on spousal maintenance in military divorce.) If a service member fails to pay court-ordered child support, then he or she may have engaged in “conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.” This is a punishable offense under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Is the obligor-parent an officer? Failure to pay court-ordered child support may be “conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman” resulting in court martial. UCMJ Article 133. By contrast, enforcement of court-ordered child support in state court could mean being held in contempt of court, fines, and jail time. If the service member violated an order to pay spousal maintenance, then an enforcement action could result in both contempt and a judgment allowing the supported spouse as judgment creditor to execute on the judgment and collect money from the debtor’s non-exempt pay, accounts, and so on. Will the SCRA suspend criminal prosecution for non-payment of child support? One exception to the SCRA worth noting here relates to unpaid child support. Although the SCRA stays certain civil proceedings, it does not protect the service member from criminal prosecution, or criminal contempt, for nonpayment of child support. For collection of child support, as well as child support arrears, service of process is made somewhat easier for the other parent. There are uniformed military officials assigned to assist the other parent with personal service on a service member whenever child support payment is the legal issue. A Phoenix child support attorney can help assess your legal options for compensation.
What You Should Know About Military Divorce
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Property Division in Military Divorce
Because service members relocate often, they may have marital assets in states other than Arizona. In general, Arizona considers out-of-state assets that would be categorized as community property if located within the State of Arizona as marital property to be divided. Similarly, the separate assets of one spouse located in some other jurisdiction would remain separate property. ARS § 25-213.
Dividing Military Pensions
One important aspect of property division involves military pensions and retired pay. Because dividing retirement assets and related benefits in a military divorce can be complicated, we discuss the process in a special military pension division segment. Read more about military divorce here: Military Divorce FAQs. As well as a section on Life insurance ramifications involved in Military divorces.
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