Ushering You Through Your Divorce
Filing for divorce in and of itself is challenging, but it can become even more complicated when a military service member is involved. Whether you or your spouse serves in the military, understanding how military divorce works in Washington is vital if you want to dissolve your marriage.
At Pacific Cascade Legal, our Tacoma military divorce lawyers have experience advocating for service members and their spouses throughout the divorce process. To schedule a free consultation with our team, contact us online or via phone at 253-300-4521.
Filing for a Military Divorce in Washington
To file for a military divorce in Washington, you or your spouse must live or be stationed in the state. If you're a service member stationed in Washington, you must be stationed in the state for 90 days after filing to finalize your divorce within Washington.
Washington is a no-fault divorce state, meaning acts such as infidelity don't play a role in whether a party can file for divorce. To file for divorce, you simply need to state that you believe your marriage is irretrievably broken" and that dissolving the union is in both parties' best interests.
A party filing for a military divorce in Washington must fill out and file four different documents with the court:
- A Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. This document contains the grounds for divorce, as well as proposed terms for divorce and post-divorce orders such as child custody, spousal maintenance, property division, etc.
- A Summons. This document informs the other party of the pending divorce and gives them a chance to file a response contesting or agreeing with the information provided in the petition.
- A Vital Statistics Form. This document contains basic information about the length of the marriage, the county the divorce is being filed for in and where each party currently resides, etc.
- A Confidential Information Form. This document contains information about your separate and marital property, details about your income and finances, children you have, etc.
In Washington, if a marriage lasted at least ten years and the marriage lasted while either spouse provided ten years of active duty, military pension may be considered community property. In other words, military retirement benefits are sometimes eligible for division during divorce, meaning your spouse could receive a part of your pension.
Military divorce can be complicated, particularly if one party is actively serving or in a different location when divorce is filed. Our Tacoma military divorce attorneys will work with you to file for divorce and find the best path forward in your case.
Our conveniently located Tacoma office has free, safe, easy to find parking right off Interstate 5 at the Tacoma Mall Office Building. To schedule a free consultation with our team, contact us online or via phone at 253-300-4521.