Divorce and the Military

Abstract

With increasing frequency, more service members deployed to combat zones are encountering ambushes on their flanks and rear by their closest allies: their spouses. Imagine the plight of a member of the United States military serving abroad in a combat zone: while deployed, his spouse leaves him, files for divorce, moves his children, and sells his possessions. During his deployment, he is frozen in a state of legal stasis, unable to defend himself. The convergence of no-fault divorce, imputed valuation of child support and adjustments, deployments, and the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) has created a lucrative opportunity for civilian spouses. Existing laws and increased deployments are creating epidemic divorce rates and disparate impacts among the military. Immediate reform of existing divorce laws is required to reduce the inequality existent in military divorces today. Clearly the United States military needs to address these issues to ensure that military personnel can serve their country without distraction.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 07, 2006
Accession Number
ADA503228

Entities

People

  • John T. Gordon

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • California
  • Cold War
  • Deployment
  • Families (Human)
  • Head Of Household
  • Information Operations
  • Marine Corps
  • Marriage
  • Military Families
  • Military Personnel
  • New York
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Economics
  • Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Care for Military Service Members and Veterans with Limb Loss or Disability.
  • Strategic Security Studies