Are there any differences between a military divorce and a civilian divorce?

Yes, there are some differences between a military divorce and a civilian divorce in Washington State. One of the main differences is that the service member’s military pay is subject to division in a military divorce. When a service member is on active duty, their military pay is normally protected from division by civilian courts. However, when it comes to military divorce, their spouse is legally entitled to no less than one-half of their disposable military pay. In addition, military members and their spouses have to meet different filing requirements for military divorce. In order for a civilian divorce to be finalized, it must be filed in the state in which at least one of the spouses is a resident. On the other hand, military divorce requires the service member to be a resident of the state in which the divorce is being filed, thus eliminating the need for the non-military spouse to be a resident. Finally, special rules and laws apply to military divorces that do not apply to civilian divorces. For example, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) calls for a stay of proceedings in a divorce action when a service member is on active duty. This means that the court must delay proceedings until the service member is no longer on active duty. Overall, there are some key differences between military and civilian divorces in Washington. It is important to become familiar with the requirements before filing either type of divorce to ensure your situation is handled properly.

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