How Military Service Can Factor Into Custody And Support Issues

People join the armed services for many different reasons. But whatever they may be, a person’s motive for staying is typically to continue doing their duty for their country. In many cases, this takes priority in their lives, oftentimes putting relationships with spouses and even their children on the back burner. This can cause resentment though, which can then lead to divorce.

For those who have never experienced military service, it’s difficult to understand why people say that divorces for soldiers are a challenge. The reason for this of some of the more subtle nuances of military life that come into play. In today’s post, we’d like to look at how military service plays a role in family law areas to give our readers a better understanding about a topic they might not be familiar with.

When a divorce seems imminent for military couples, the first thought that often occurs to them is how this will affect their access to government benefits. This especially becomes a concern for civilian spouses who might be apprehensive about financial security after the divorce. When children are thrown into the mix, questions regarding access to benefits become even more prominent in negotiations.

For military families with children, the next area of concern to address is child custody. An issue that a lot of military families have to contend with that is not a problem for civilian families is a deployment. This part of service might need to be taken into consideration when determining custody arrangements and visitation schedules.

Child support often comes up in conversations after discussing custody. Like with custody tough, child support can be affected by military service. Take for example court determinations on support amounts. New Jersey courts take into consideration additional expenses, such as health insurance and child care, when calculating support orders. For those in the military, child care is made more affordable, meaning the cost of child care added to a civilian parent’s support order may be different from a soldier’s order.

Whether you’re a civilian parent or a military one, the process of going through a divorce is rarely ever easy. And because of the complexity of the law and the fact that no two cases are the same, it only becomes more apparent why you might need the help of a good lawyer.

Source: Quartz, “One thing the US military gets right: childcare,” Kate Baldwin, March 26, 2015