Though every military divorce is emotional, it is also unique

 Posted on March 25, 2020 in Uncategorized

If you are a military spouse facing divorce, you are probably experiencing a wide range of emotions.

A military divorce is often more complicated than a divorce in the private sector, and each is unique. Prepare yourself by relying on professional support and understanding all you can about the process.

Explore other avenues

Solving problems in a marriage is not easy if one of the parties is a military member who is often absent due to deployment. Still, the two of you may try to understand what has gone wrong in your marriage by seeking couples therapy. However, if professional counselling does not help to solve the problems and produce the desired outcome, you and your spouse may have no choice but to end your marriage.

Learn from the USFSPA

Before you proceed to divorce, you need to know your rights. Several laws address this specific subject, but you may find some difficult to understand. The Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act, or USFSPA, is a good place to begin your research. This act, established in 1981, seeks to protect the rights of former military spouses and covers subjects such as retirement pay, survivor benefits, insurance and much more.

Prepare for changes

You will obviously lose your partner in marriage when you go through a military divorce, but you should prepare for other losses, as well. Like many military spouses, you may have built relationships through the years and depended on a support network that you will no longer have. You will enter a different world as a former military spouse, but the often-fulfilling task of building new and different relationships will begin again.

Rely on support

Family members may form your immediate support network. However, you can also rely on the help of professionals whose knowledge of military divorce will aid you in transitioning to the next phase of your life as smoothly as possible.