The Denver military divorce lawyers at Ciancio, Ciancio, Brown, P.C. have decades of experience and a history of satisfied clients in Colorado, including a successful track record of navigating divorce proceedings for active-duty service members.
If a divorce has become inevitable for you and your spouse, and the armed services are a factor in your marriage and Colorado divorce, you need a Denver military divorce attorney with many years of experience navigating the unique complexities of a military divorce.
Divorce is always a distressing reality for a couple to face and often comes with frustrating legal challenges. These challenges can become complex when divorcing spouses have children and assets, with matters of custody, child support, and property division to face. When one or both parties in a divorce are members of the military, the challenges may be distinctly different compared to typical divorces.
Once your divorce becomes final, it’s very difficult to go back and change the terms of your divorce agreement. That’s why it’s critical to reach an agreeable outcome even with the additional legalities involved in military divorce.
How Military Divorces are Different
When one or both partners in a marriage are members of the military and the marriage has come to an end, the active duty status of one or both partners makes a difference in the following ways compared to a typical Colorado divorce:
How you file for divorce
Where you file
The timeline of the process
The division of marital assets, including a military retirement plan
Child custody
While a military divorce isn’t necessarily more difficult than a civilian divorce, there are specific rules that apply to active duty service members, including jurisdictional issues and unique residency requirements. In some cases, the military justice system may also become involved if the divorce proceedings include allegations of abuse, domestic violence, or adultery—all of which are crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
The military lawyers at the Denver law firm of Ciancio, Ciancio, Brown, P.C. offer personalized solutions for active duty members or their spouses who are seeking a divorce or responding to a petition for divorce.
How Can a Denver Military Divorce Lawyer Help?
Nearly 50% of active duty service members are married. The stress of marriage, careers, and raising a family often ends civilian marriages, but with the additional challenges of lengthy separations and frequent moves imposed on military families, the divorce rate among members of the military is higher than in any other profession. Deployment in the military has a detrimental impact on marriages, with the likelihood of divorce increasing with the number of months per year spent apart.
If you’re facing divorce and either you, your spouse or both parties are military service members, you need a skilled divorce lawyer with decades of experience in the unique legalities of military divorce to see you through the process. A skilled attorney can help you to accomplish the outcomes you desire in matters pertaining to assets, parenting time, and other conditions of your divorce agreement—all with the dignity you deserve for your service as an active-duty military member or as the spouse of a military member who made necessary sacrifices during the duration of the marriage.
At Ciancio, Ciancio, Brown, P.C., our Denver divorce attorneys will do the following to diligently represent your interests throughout the divorce process:
Determine jurisdiction which depends on which party initiates the divorce proceedings
Ask for a 90-day stay on divorce proceedings if necessary during deployment after complying with Colorado’s mandatory 91-day waiting period for divorce
Resolve issues of child custody, including the unique requirements associated with military family members such as ensuring continued access to phone visitation during deployments and ample parenting time when the active duty service member returns from deployment
Protect your interests in the matter of Colorado’s rule for the equitable division of assets, including military retirement benefits which have been considered marital property and subject to division in a divorce since a 1988 ruling
Explain your rights under the Frozen Benefits Rule
Ensure that any applicable benefits of the Service Members’ Relief Act are evoked when required, such as protection against default charges for failure to respond during active duty, and postponing proceedings during active duty by one of the parties in the divorce
Include provisions for a variance in child support during a service member’s deployment if it includes a change in pay
Diligently ensure all paperwork is correctly filed in a timely manner
Communicate openly and frequently to keep you informed of every step of the process until the divorce becomes final
You shouldn’t have to face the complexities of divorce alone. While a military divorce lawyer isn’t a mandatory part of the process, by securing representation with the Denver military divorce attorneys at Ciancio, Ciancio, Brown, P.C., you can rest assured that your interests will become our priority.