Counting Down to #14 Military Divorce Mistakes
In “Part 7” of Military Divorce Mistakes, I talked about insuring the pension in case the member dies. If you or your spouse is a military member please do not use this brief summary as an advice guide. Every case is different. Seek the advice of an experienced family divorce attorney in person who can review your personal situation. Today, pension insurance continues the list of definite “don’ts” associated with those serving in the military and divorce.
Top 15 Tampa Military Divorce Pitfalls
Continuing the list with number 14, the most commonly made costly divorce errors to be avoided when seeking a military divorce.
14. Do not use Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance (War Insurance or SGLI) to insure the pension. Usually, members of the Reserves or those on active duty Can apply for SGLI, which offers a $400,000 benefit to the beneficiary in case of the member’s death. However, under a US Supreme Court case, “war insurance” can’t be regulated by state court order. That means, even if the member has signed a marital settlement agreement stating that you will remain the sole beneficiary of the policy, There is no legal jurisdiction to enforce it and the member, at his whim, can remove you as beneficiary, leaving you with no benefit and no legal recourse. This scenario has even lead to the member’s new spouse receiving the benefit to a pension that the member legal agreed would remain yours in the divorce agreement.
Next on Tampa Military Divorce
Next up, I’ll bring it home with the finally biggie in my list of “don’ts” when considering a Tampa military divorce. If you are thinking of a divorce with military concerns, consult with a lawyer who has experience in collaborative divorce, mediation, and traditional adversarial divorce so you can receive insight on which type of divorce may be right for you. Seek out Tampa divorce attorneys with the knowledge you need. Seek out S. David Anton of Anton Legal Group.
David Anton is a third generation Tampa attorney who has handled all aspects of dissolution actions since 1985.
To schedule your consultation, please call the Anton Legal Group at 813-443-5249.