Military Divorce Lawyers Serving Service Members and Families Near Naval Submarine Base New London
Military divorce is not a variation of civilian divorce — it operates under a separate federal framework, with rules governing pension division, benefit eligibility, and custody that most family law attorneys have never read, let alone applied. We have. Attorney Keith Anthony served four years on active duty as a Marine Corps JAG prosecutor and has continued his reserve service for nearly 20 years. Our Groton office sits three miles from Naval Submarine Base New London. When you come to us with a military divorce, you are working with a team that understands the law, the culture, and the command environment from the inside.
Why Military Divorce Requires a Different Kind of Attorney
A civilian divorce attorney handles property division under Connecticut state law. A military divorce attorney handles property division under federal law — specifically the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act — and then reconciles that with state proceedings. These are not the same skill set. An attorney who has never worked inside the military legal system is learning on your case. We are not.
Keith's background as a JAG prosecutor means he has worked directly within the military pay and benefits structure. He knows how retirement points are calculated, how the 20/20/20 rule determines benefit eligibility, and how deployment cycles and duty assignments affect the practical realities of a divorce. That knowledge is not available at most civilian law firms in southeastern Connecticut.
How Military Pensions Are Divided Under Federal Law
The Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act, known as USFSPA, governs how military retirement pay is treated in a divorce. Under USFSPA, a state court may divide military retired pay as marital property — but the rules for how that division is calculated and enforced are entirely federal. Most civilian attorneys are unfamiliar with the distinction, and errors in how pension division language is drafted can cost a service member or spouse tens of thousands of dollars over a career's worth of retirement payments.
Key USFSPA provisions that affect your case:
- Military retired pay can be divided as marital property, but only through a qualifying court order that meets specific federal requirements
- The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will only make direct payments to a former spouse if the marriage overlapped with at least 10 years of creditable military service — the "10/10 rule"
- The 20/20/20 rule determines whether a former spouse retains full military benefits, including TRICARE and commissary access, after divorce: 20 years of marriage, 20 years of service, and 20 years of overlap between the two
- Disability pay is treated differently from retirement pay under federal law and requires separate analysis
- Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) elections must be addressed explicitly in the divorce decree or a former spouse may lose coverage permanently
SCRA Protections for Service Members Facing Divorce During Deployment
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act provides specific legal protections for active-duty service members involved in civil litigation, including divorce proceedings. If you are deployed or on orders and a divorce action is filed against you, SCRA gives you the right to request a stay of proceedings until you can meaningfully participate. Courts are required to honor that request under federal law.
We apply SCRA protections proactively for every service member client. If you are currently deployed, on extended sea duty, or otherwise unavailable due to military obligations, your absence cannot be used to proceed against you by default. Serving your country is not grounds for losing your parental rights or your financial interests in a divorce. We enforce that.
Jurisdiction in Military Divorce: Where Your Case Is Filed Matters
When a service member is stationed in Connecticut but legally domiciled in another state, determining where a divorce can be filed — and which state's laws apply — is not straightforward. Connecticut courts can assert jurisdiction over a military divorce in certain circumstances, but domicile, residency, and the location of the marriage all factor into the analysis.
Filing in the wrong jurisdiction can affect which state's property division laws apply, how retirement pay is characterized, and whether a Connecticut court has authority to issue orders that DFAS will honor. Getting jurisdiction right at the outset is essential. We handle this analysis as a standard part of every military divorce intake.
Military Divorce Issues We Handle
Military Pension and Retirement Pay Division
Dividing military retirement pay requires precise court order language that satisfies DFAS requirements. We draft and review these orders to ensure they reflect the intended division accurately and will be honored by the federal government without modification.
TRICARE and Military Benefits After Divorce
Whether a former spouse retains TRICARE eligibility after divorce depends on the length of the marriage, the length of the service member's career, and the overlap between the two. We walk through the 20/20/20 rule and its partial-coverage alternatives with every client so you understand exactly what benefits are at stake before any agreement is signed.
Child Custody When a Parent Is on Active Duty
Deployment schedules, sea duty rotations, and PCS moves create real complications in custody planning. We build custody arrangements that account for the realities of military service — including provisions for deployment periods, temporary modifications, and the service member's rights under SCRA during active litigation.
Divorce Involving Coast Guard, Navy, and Submarine Force Families
Our Groton office serves sailors, submariners, Electric Boat employees, and Coast Guard families throughout the New London County area. We understand the specific duty cycle pressures, housing considerations, and benefit structures that apply to this community. If you are stationed at or near Naval Submarine Base New London and need a military divorce attorney, we are the closest qualified option — and the only local firm with in-house JAG experience.
CLIENT TRUST
Families Across Cedar Park Trust a Thoughtful Planning Process
Why Families Near NSB New London Choose Mission Focus Legal Group
We have earned 110+ five-star Google reviews from clients across southeastern Connecticut. Five Super Lawyers selections reflect the sustained quality of our legal work. But the credential that matters most on a military divorce case is the one that cannot be manufactured: Keith Anthony spent four years prosecuting courts-martial as a Marine Corps JAG officer and has served in the reserves for nearly two decades. He is not approximating what military life is like. He has lived it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Military Divorce in Connecticut
Can a Connecticut court divide my military pension if I am stationed here but domiciled in another state?
It depends on the specific facts — including where you are legally domiciled, where your spouse resides, and whether you consent to Connecticut jurisdiction. Connecticut courts can assert jurisdiction in some circumstances even when domicile is elsewhere, but this analysis must be done carefully. Filing in the wrong state can affect how your retirement pay is treated and whether DFAS will honor the resulting order.How does the 20/20/20 rule work, and does my spouse qualify for TRICARE after our divorce?
The 20/20/20 rule requires 20 years of marriage, 20 years of qualifying military service, and 20 years of overlap between the two. If all three conditions are met, a former spouse retains full TRICARE eligibility and commissary access after divorce. If the overlap is between 15 and 20 years, a former spouse may qualify for transitional TRICARE coverage for one year. We review these calculations with every client before any settlement is finalized.I am currently deployed. Can my spouse file for divorce and proceed without me?
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act gives you the right to request a stay of divorce proceedings while you are deployed or otherwise unable to participate due to military duty. A court must grant an initial stay of at least 90 days. We file SCRA stay requests as a standard protective measure for deployed clients and ensure your rights are preserved until you can be present.How is military disability pay treated in a Connecticut divorce?
Military disability pay is treated differently from retirement pay under federal law. In most cases, disability pay is not divisible as marital property in the same way that retirement pay is. However, the interaction between disability pay and retirement pay — particularly when a service member waives retirement pay to receive disability pay — requires careful legal analysis. An attorney unfamiliar with military pay structures can easily mishandle this issue.Does it matter that my spouse works at Electric Boat and is not in the military?
If your spouse is a civilian employee at Electric Boat or elsewhere in the Groton area and you are the service member, the military-specific rules still apply to your retirement pay, your SCRA protections, and any custody arrangements that must account for deployment. The civilian nature of your spouse's employment does not eliminate the federal framework that governs your side of the case.
Talk to a Military Divorce Attorney Who Has Been Inside the System
Military divorce is too consequential to hand to an attorney who is learning the rules as they go. Your pension, your benefits, your parental rights, and your financial future all depend on getting this right. We are three miles from Naval Submarine Base New London, we have served the military community in southeastern Connecticut for years, and we have the JAG background to handle every dimension of your case with precision. Call us at (860) 333-6455 or submit a consultation request and we will respond promptly.