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Military Divorce among women down but not out yet

| Jan 4, 2014 | Military Divorce

For Tennessee armed forces personnel, an irretrievable breakdown of their marriage can be just as distressing as for their fellow civilians. While a military divorce may not always be more complicated than a civilian one, there are still a set of separate laws and regulations that govern such divorces, including regulatory compliance, procedural service, residency requirements and the division of military allowance and military benefits.

Both federal laws and Tennessee laws are applicable to military divorces, and guide different aspects of it. The apportionment of a military allowance is dictated by federal regulations, while state laws determine the amount of alimony. Members of the armed forces who are actively deployed often seek protection from the trauma and distress that the breakdown of a marriage brings.

Recent statistics by the Pentagon indicate that the rate of divorce among military personnel, especially among women, has been steadily declining. It has gone down by almost a full percent from 2011. The report indicates that this reduction may be the result of a gradual reduction in the number of active deployments. Despite this, the divorce rate among female personnel is still significantly higher compared with male personnel, which may indicate gender disparity and societal pressure.

However, couples in the military will continue to get divorced, and since different regulations govern this issue, military couples from Tennessee who are divorcing should be aware of their respective rights and entitlements and seek proper legal counsel. It’s important to remember that military service rules provide for special alimony and child support under certain circumstances.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Divorce Rate For Women In The Military Decreases For Second Year In A Row,” Dec. 18, 2013

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