Many Texas residents who are in the military get married for the added benefits they receive. However, all the challenges that military life brings to a couple means that the divorce rate among military couples is higher than 50%, which is the national average.
What benefits do you lose in the divorce?
There is a lot of benefits that military members receive when they’re married or supporting a family, such as a housing allowance and a family separation allowance.
When you go through a divorce, these benefits will be directly impacted. The housing allowance for your soon-to-be ex-spouse will either be terminated altogether or significantly decreased.
Your family separation allowance also may decrease depending on whether you have children. In addition, any sort of supplemental tax-free benefits you receive from the military will be counted as a part of your income when determining child support or alimony.
Does your spouse still receive benefits?
Any children you have with your ex-spouse will still receive the same benefits, such as medical care. However, all benefits to your ex-spouse will end on the day that your military divorce is finalized.
If you’ve been married for long enough, your spouse may be eligible for a year of medical care while he or she transitions into a new plan. However, this period is substantial — in most cases, 20 years.
What should I do if I’m a military spouse filing for divorce?
If you’re a military spouse in the middle of a divorce, you should get all your finances together and have a game plan in place. Often, the military will not pay for your house, medical care or any other expenses. This is a great reason to ask for alimony.
Military divorces are a lot more complicated than other types of divorces. It’s important to get all your resources together.