It’s not easy to be a military spouse. Between deployments and workups and irregular hours (not to mention the fact that you could literally be sent almost anyplace in the world – and sometimes the service member gets unaccompanied orders – and have no say in the matter), it’s one thing after another. For the spouse, keeping the family together is a difficult, time-consuming job.
For many military spouses, it’s not really all that possible to work. Between all the frequent moves and the different licensing requirements of various professional fields, it can be difficult (or virtually impossible) to work in different states or countries. Many military wives give up their careers for the sake of their husband’s. And, for awhile, it’s often a worthwhile and necessary sacrifice.
When things go badly, though, a military spouse is often in an especially difficult position. Her career jeopardized by the number of years spent out of the workforce supporting her husband’s military career, it can be difficult to get a new job and find any independent means to support herself. Where she finds herself when the marriage starts to fail can also be an issue.
In Virginia, relocations are not considered lightly – if both parents are in Virginia when the divorce or separation begins, both parents may find themselves stuck there. Unless he gets permanent orders somewhere else, you may find yourself stuck in Virginia (regardless of where your family support is or where you might be able to find the most lucrative job for yourself) more or less indefinitely. (For more on relocation, click here. ) It’s hard to be a military wife, in more ways than one. And, if it was hard when things were good, it’s doubly bad when things stop going so well. And it’s not like you can just go ask a JAG attorney for advice.
JAG attorneys are great and all, but they don’t practice divorce law. Divorce is state-specific, and JAG attorneys aren’t necessarily even licensed in the state where they’re stationed. They may or may not be licensed in their state of origin, wherever that may be (and that state’s laws regarding divorce may be very, very different from Virginia’s laws), but, regardless, they practice military law.
They don’t practice in the Virginia courts, and they probably aren’t all that familiar with Virginia law. To get Virginia divorce advice, you’ll need to talk to a Virginia divorce attorney. So, yeah, that’s kinda scary, especially if you’re not originally from Virginia, and you’re already feeling a little bit unmoored.
We recognize the difficulty that you’re facing, and understand your need to get up to date, Virginia specific divorce information – sooner rather than later. The decisions you’re making are difficult, and will likely have an impact on your family in a big way. Whether you decide to separate, divorce, or ultimately stay together, you need to have the information you need to feel like you’re making the best decision possible.
For Veteran’s Day this year, we’re honoring military spouses. We understand and appreciate your sacrifices, and want to say thank you for your service to our country. Yes—we know what you’ve done behind the scenes! We know how important you are, and how our military wouldn’t be able to continue to do all the things that it does for us without your work here at home. You’re an unsung hero, but a hero nonetheless, and we want to say thank you the best way we know how. If you’re facing a divorce or custody case, we have three things to offer you this Veteran’s Day:
1. Free download of our military divorce book.
Our military divorce book is such a valuable resource, you’re definitely going to want to start your search for information here. In many ways, military and civilian divorces aren’t all that different – but there are certain military assets (SBP, BAH, SGLI, TSP, GI Bill, and so on) that civilians don’t have. They don’t come up in every divorce, and you’re going to want to know how each of these assets will be classified and divided in a divorce. The military also presents certain challenges when it comes to custody, so you’re going to want to be familiar with how custody works in Virginia, too.
We touch on it in our military divorce book, but you can also request a copy of our custody book for free, too. I recommend that you read both of these books with a highlighter in hand, so you can make note of some of the more important provisions. There’s SO MUCH information!
2. Attend our monthly divorce seminar for free in the month of November.
After you’ve read our books, take the next step! Attend one of our monthly divorce seminars in the month of November for free. It’s normally $50, and it’s great because it’ll give you the opportunity to ask one of our licensed and experienced Virginia divorce and custody attorneys questions live and in person – without paying the cost of a consult.
It’s a great seminar, chock full of divorce and custody facts that you’ll need to have answered. We cover all sorts of important topics (like, “When can I change the locks?” and “When are we separated?”) plus take questions directly from the audience.For more information, or to register online (use the promo code “VeteransDay2017”), just click here. Attend any November seminar, with our compliments.
3. Have a consultation – for a low, low rate.
Once you’ve read the books and attended the seminar, you’ll probably want to talk to someone one-on-one about your unique issues. This year, on Monday, November 13th (because Veteran’s Day is actually a Saturday this year), we’re going to be offering reduced-fee consultations for female military service members and military wives.Regularly $285, for one day, we’ll reduce the consult fee to $150. It’s a $135 savings! But, if you’re interested, call now – we have a limited number of spaces available. To schedule a consultation, give our office a call at (757) 425-5200. Thank you for your service, and happy Veteran’s Day! Hopefully one (or more!) of these deals will help you as you begin to plan for your future. For more information on our book, seminar, or consultation offerings, give our office a call at (757) 425-5200.