If you are in the military or are married to a spouse who is, you face many different challenges than civilian couples do. As a result, the divorce rate for armed service members is two times as high as it is for nonmilitary spouses.
Just as enlisted members’ marriages tend to be more complex, so are the divorces they face when their marital problems prove to be insurmountable. Below is some important information to have when contemplating a military divorce.
Devise a family care plan to protect your parental rights
When military couples divorce, a deployed spouse is unable to assume caregiving duties during their deployments. That’s when the family care plan that was approved by the military spouse’s commanding officer kicks in.
These plans are vital because they allow the deployed service member to self-direct the type of care to be provided to their dependent children.
Family care plans must designate care providers for their children in both the short- and long-term. Your plan lays out your intentions for emergency and routine medical care for the kids. It can detail the financial obligations you have to your children when you divorce your co-parent.
Whether your care plan is submitted as part of the annual plan review or done as part of your divorce, you want to get everything right so that it continues to serve the best interests of the children. Learning more about your options for maintaining child custody when facing a military divorce may leave you better prepared to face whatever the future holds for you.
