If you’re serving in the military and plan to get a divorce, you may find the words “military divorce” mentioned frequently in association with attorneys in Colorado Springs.  Just to clarify, a “military divorce” is not a specific type of legal proceeding; in the state of Colorado, it is no different than any other “Dissolution of Marriage” action.  Rather than a “type” of divorce, it refers to the status of one or both of the parties involved.  It will still occur in the presence of a domestic relations judge, the same one that presides over civilian divorces.  In Colorado Springs, “military divorce” is such an important part of an attorney’s practice in Colorado Springs because of the five military bases located in the area.

While there are no special qualifications that define a military divorce attorney, it is important that you have standards in choosing one to represent you.   Just because an attorney in Colorado Springs claims to understand military divorce doesn’t mean that he or she will be any more qualified to help you.

According to a recent article on the website for the Marrison Law Firm, “How to Hire a Military Divorce Attorney in Colorado Springs,” there are some very specific questions that should be asked.

1) How many military divorce cases have you handled?  You should look for a firm that has helped hundreds of servicemembers and their spouses with a dissolution of marriage.

2) How much can you tell me about the SCRA (Servicemembers Civil Relief Act) and how it protects my rights?

3) Can you, as my military divorce attorney, guarantee me a better share of my spouse’s military retired pay?   The attorney should never “guarantee” a higher proportion; rather, they should explain to you how the Uniformed Services Former Spouse’s Protection Act works.

4) How many years of marriage are required before I can receive my share of a spouse’s military retired pay directly from DFAS?  The answer to this question is ten years.

5) How many years of marriage would be required for my spouse to receive my full VA medical benefits after a divorce?  The answer to this question is 20 years of overlapping military service and marriage.

In addition to these questions, sometimes the best place to start is to find out which lawyers show up in the Google search listings.  Simply type in “military divorce attorney Colorado Springs.”  By looking closely at a law firm’s website, you can usually gather how experienced they really are with this type of proceeding.  Does the law firm publish a weekly legal blog with articles about military divorce?  Based on your review of their site and the questions you ask, do they seem to know a lot about military retired pay, VA benefits and military jurisdiction?

Using these tips, you should be able to find a highly qualified military divorce attorney in Colorado Springs.

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