On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Military Divorce on Thursday, May 26, 2016.
Military life can present families with many challenges. A service member on active duty can face long stretches of time away from home. This separation can be all the more difficult if the service member is stationed in an area of armed conflict. Meanwhile, the family must learn to adapt to this absence, all the while worrying about their loved one’s well-being.
It is understandable if such stressful circumstances put a strain on a relationship. One would like to believe that after the tour of duty ends and the service member returns home, he or she will be able to enjoy a settled, happy home life.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The experience of being in battle can leave a service member struggling to reintegrate with his or her family. In fact, a 2013 study conducted by the RAND Corporation examined a group of over 462,000 married enlisted service members and found that the more time a service member spent on deployment, the greater the risk of divorce.
Moreover, there was a higher risk of divorce among service members who were part of hostile deployments than for those who served in non-hostile deployments.
Perhaps the most telling statistic is that 97 percent of all divorces among this group actually occurred after the service member returned home. This indicates that it can be very difficult for a married military couple to resume their relationship after a deployment ends.
If you are in a military marriage that is no longer functioning in a healthy manner and are considering a divorce, you may wish to discuss your circumstances with a family law attorney. While many aspects of military divorce are the same as a standard civilian divorce, there are some differences regarding benefits, allowances and other issues. It is important to work with an attorney who understands these differences and can help navigate you through the process.
