President Trump’s announcement about his plans for the country’s military presence in Afghanistan may not be surprising depending on your political affiliations. But if you are an enlisted service member or involved with someone in the armed forces, there is a chance that you may be deployed overseas. So if you are involved in a divorce or child custody action, it is essential to have several things in order.
This post will highlight a couple of important considerations.
Have your support system recognized – It is common for military personnel to temporarily delegate a number of parental responsibilities to others, such as parents, siblings or other loved ones. When a deployment arises, some day-to-day decision-making rights must be vested in someone else, and a order must reflect this.
Custody and parenting time schedules must be updated – In the same vein, a court order should properly reflect each parent’s current reality, regardless of who is deployed and where their new assignment is. For those deployed (i.e. transferred) within the United States, a modification should be tailored to enable your children to spend time and maintain a relationship with you. For overseas deployments, regular virtual visitation should be a standard part of a modified order.
Ultimately, parents in the armed services are have the same legal protections when it comes to custody and parenting time disputes. An experienced family law attorneycan help deployed parents understand their rights and options.
The preceding is not legal advice and is provided for informational purposes only.
