Military Divorce: Enforcing State Court Awards under USFSPA

Under certain conditions, a state court may award a portion of one spouse's military retired pay to the other, as part of a divorce order.

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What can State courts do?

Under federal law, military retired pay is a federal entitlement, not a qualified pension plan. However, the distribution of military retired pay to former spouses is not an automatic entitlement. Under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act (USFSPA), state courts can divide military retired pay under certain conditions. The amount of a former spouse’s award is based solely on state law, and certain requirements must be met. Former spouses may also rely on the USFSPA to enforce an award of alimony or child support.

Under certain conditions, a state court may award a portion of one spouse's military retired pay to the other, as part of a divorce order.

  1. State courts can divide military retired pay and distribute to a spouse or former spouse as property in the final court order.
  2. State courts can enforce orders through the Department of Defense.
  3. State courts can only divide military retired pay as outlined in the USFSPA.

The maximum amount that can be paid to a former spouse is 50% of the a member's disposable retired pay. If there are payments under the USFSPA as well as garnishment for child support or alimony, the total amount cannot exceed 65% of the member's disposable earnings for garnishment purposes.

What’s required?

1. The state court must have jurisdiction over the military member, and the court must state that it does in the court order.

A court has jurisdiction over a military member in any of the following cases:

  1. If the military member is a resident of the state and does not live there solely because the member’s military duty station is in the state;
  2. If the military member lives in the State at the time of the divorce; or
  3. If the military member consents to the court’s jurisdiction by filing an answer or certain other documents in response to pleadings, or making a personal appearance. Note: If the member is on active duty, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) may apply.

2. State courts use the "10/10 Rule" to determine whether a spouse or former spouse is eligible.

  1. The military member must have at least ten (10) creditable retirement military service years.
  2. The spouse or former spouse must have been married to the military member for at least ten (10) creditable retirement military service years.

3. To divide military retired pay, the court must award the portion of pay as “property” in the final court order. A final court order may be any of these:

  1. Divorce decree,
  2. Dissolution of marriage,
  3. Annulment,
  4. Legal separation, or
  5. Court-ordered property settlement.

4. To divide military retired pay, the court must order a monthly award of a fixed dollar amount OR a percentage of the member’s disposable retired pay. If the award is a fixed dollar amount, then the former spouse will not be able to receive any of the military member’s retired pay cost of living adjustments (COLAs). However, if the fixed amount is a percentage of the member’s disposable retired pay, the former spouse’s award will increase over time because of the periodic living adjustments.

If the court’s award is not given in definite terms, or if the award is attached to some other obligation (i.e., alimony) or figures that are subject to change (i.e., Survivor Benefit Plan premiums), then the entire award is unenforceable.

How can a former spouse apply for enforcement of a state court award?

The former spouse must submit the following:

  1. Completed DD Form 2293, signed by you (the former spouse)
  2. A Clerk of Court certified copy of the final court order (the document stating your entitlement to an award)
  3. A copy of the marriage certificate (unless the marriage date is stated in the court order)
  4. If applying for child support, include the birth dates of children (if the court order does not include the birth dates of the children, then you must provide photocopies of the child(ren)'s birth certificates).
  5. If the court order does not include entitlement award, then include a document with that information (e.g., Qualified Domestic Relations Order, Separation Agreement, etc.).
  6. Completed Direct Deposit Form
  7. Completed IRS W4-P

You may fax or mail all of the above to:

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Cleveland DFAS-HGA/CL
P.O. Box 998002
Cleveland, Ohio 44199-8002

Fax 877-622-5930. If you choose to fax, please include the following:

  1. The military member’s social security number (on all documents)
  2. Return Phone number
  3. Return fax number

Lawrencia Pierce, Esq., Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs; Updated by Web Services Librarian.