Facing Military Divorce & Military Custody Issues

The closeness of MacDill Air Force Base to our office in Tampa means that many of our clients are in the military. Military divorce cases present unique issues that your military divorce attorney must be prepared to deal with, for example, the impact deployment or relocation may have on time-sharing, understanding the calculation of child support based upon the military member’s income and benefits, the proper calculation of the equitable distribution of the member’s retirement benefits, including an accurate determination of the marital component of the retirement pay.

Growing up in a military family and having a son in Army ROTC means LaFrance Family Law has a personal understanding of the pride and emotions that revolve around any military family matter. LaFrance Family Law is ready and prepared to assist clients who are dealing with a military divorce. The realities of military life can make divorce and custody difficult, but the compassionate and caring lawyers at LaFrance Family Law can provide the needed guidance and address the uncertainties created through this difficult time.

While Florida law places the emphasis on the best interest of the children, rather than the interests of either parent, when determining time-sharing Florida law does recognize the impact of deployment when making a time-sharing determination. In both civilian and military divorces, a parenting plan which addresses time-sharing provides parents with the certainty of knowing what their time with their children will be during the school year, on holidays, weekends, summer breaks, and during military obligations. LaFrance Family Law understands that just because parties divorce, they do not stop being parents and parents want to spend as much time with their children as possible. We work to create an agreed upon parenting plan wherever possible, but also understand and are committed to allowing the Court to decide the issue if necessary.

LaFrance Family Law helps our clients going through a military divorce in Tampa by putting together a time-sharing plan, in an effort to spend less time litigating this issue in Family Court. Time-sharing plans establish the obligations of each parent and set forth a definite time-sharing schedule to help parents avoid conflicts. We assist our clients in creating a time-sharing schedule that works for them. In this plan, it is possible to address with certainty the time-sharing in the event of a relocation or deployment. Having a plan in place can help ease the stress for children and parents when there is a sudden deployment or relocation.

In addition to addressing issues concerning your children, we will assess any other issues that may be present in a military divorce. These include the calculation of the marital component of the member’s military retirement, addressing the Survivor Benefit Plan and the possible retention or receipt of this benefit and the allocation of its cost.

LaFrance Family Law provides our clients in Tampa and the surrounding areas with the knowledge they need for all issues regarding a military divorce, so our clients can make informed decisions. LaFrance Family Law’s experience in handling military divorces benefits our clients both in negotiating a resolution of their case and if necessary, litigating the issues in Court, if necessary.