Military Divorce FAQ

Arizona courts can exercise jurisdiction over a military divorce if either spouse has been domiciled in Arizona for at least 90 days before filing. A service member who claims Arizona as their legal domicile — even while stationed elsewhere — generally satisfies this requirement. The petition must be filed in the Superior Court of the county where either spouse resides or is domiciled.

Yes. If the civilian spouse has lived in Arizona for at least 90 days, they may file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in the Superior Court of their county. The service member does not need to be physically present in Arizona, but proper legal service of process — governed in part by the SCRA — must be completed. Consulting an attorney familiar with military service rules is strongly recommended to avoid procedural errors.

Arizona imposes a mandatory 60-day waiting period after the respondent spouse is served before a Dissolution of Marriage can be finalized. This waiting period applies equally to military divorces. However, if a service member is deployed or otherwise protected under the SCRA, the actual timeline may extend considerably beyond 60 days.

The SCRA allows an active-duty service member to request a stay (postponement) of civil court proceedings, including divorce, for at least 90 days if military service materially affects their ability to participate. A court may grant additional stays beyond that initial period. While this protection exists to safeguard service members, it can significantly delay the divorce process for the filing spouse.

Arizona is a no-fault divorce state, meaning the only recognized ground for Dissolution of Marriage is the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. Neither spouse needs to prove fault or misconduct. This applies equally to military and civilian divorces, simplifying the legal threshold for obtaining a dissolution even when circumstances like deployment complicate the process.

Arizona is a community property state, meaning the portion of a military pension earned during the marriage is considered community property and subject to equitable division. The court will calculate the marital share — typically based on the number of years of military service overlapping with the marriage divided by total years of service. The division is formalized through a court order submitted to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).

The 10/10 rule under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA) determines whether a former spouse can receive their share of the military retirement pay directly from DFAS rather than from the service member. To qualify for direct payment, the marriage must have lasted at least 10 years and overlapped with at least 10 years of creditable military service. If the 10/10 threshold is not met, the service member is still obligated to pay the former spouse their court-ordered share, but DFAS will not send it directly — enforcement falls to the court order itself.

Under Arizona law, all assets and debts accumulated during the marriage are presumed to be community property, including military base pay, bonuses, savings, and joint debts. Separate property — assets owned before the marriage or received as gifts or inheritance — generally remains with the individual spouse. Military-specific benefits such as the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) are typically considered income for support purposes but are not directly divisible as property.

A former spouse loses eligibility for TRICARE upon finalization of the divorce unless the 20/20/20 rule is met: the service member completed at least 20 years of creditable service, the marriage lasted at least 20 years, and the two periods overlapped by at least 20 years. If you do not qualify under 20/20/20 but meet a partial overlap (20/20/15), you may receive one year of transitional TRICARE coverage. Otherwise, you may be eligible to purchase temporary coverage under the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP).

Yes. Arizona courts may award spousal maintenance in a military divorce based on factors such as the requesting spouse's ability to be self-sufficient, the standard of living established during the marriage, and the duration of the marriage. Military allowances such as BAH may be factored into the service member's income when calculating a maintenance award. The court has broad discretion, and longer marriages or situations where one spouse sacrificed career advancement due to military relocations may result in longer-duration awards.

On-base housing is a military benefit tied to the service member's active-duty status, not a marital asset subject to division. Upon divorce, the civilian spouse typically must vacate base housing within a specified period set by installation policy. Arizona courts cannot divide or award on-base housing as property, though a judge may consider the loss of housing when determining spousal maintenance or the division of other community assets.

Arizona courts recognize that deployment is a reality of military life and require parenting plans to address it proactively. When a service member is deployed, the non-deploying parent typically assumes primary physical custody for the duration. Courts often include provisions for virtual visitation (video calls) during deployment and may allow the deploying parent to delegate their parenting time to a family member, such as a grandparent, depending on the agreement.

Arizona law requires all divorces involving minor children to include a Parenting Plan addressing both legal decision-making authority (the right to make major decisions about education, healthcare, and religion) and parenting time schedules. For military families, the plan should also address deployment protocols, holiday schedules across time zones, virtual visitation rights, and procedures for modifying schedules during temporary duty assignments or PCS moves. A well-drafted plan minimizes future court disputes.

A parent wishing to relocate with a child more than 100 miles away or out of state must provide at least 45 days written notice to the other parent under Arizona law. The non-relocating parent may file a petition to prevent the move, at which point the court will evaluate the relocation based on the best interests of the child. A PCS order does not automatically grant a service member the right to relocate children, and civilian spouses who wish to follow a reassigned service member face the same notice and court-approval requirements.

Arizona uses the Income Shares Model for child support calculations, which considers both parents' gross incomes. For active-duty service members, income includes base pay, BAH, BAS, and any special pays. Because military compensation can be complex and variable, it is important to document all sources of income accurately on the Child Support Worksheet. Courts may also deviate from the standard calculation if the service member's deployment or irregular schedule substantially affects the parenting time arrangement.

Not easily. The SCRA places significant restrictions on entering default judgments against service members who cannot appear in court due to military duties. Before a default can be entered, the court must appoint an attorney to represent the absent service member, and the judge must be satisfied that military service is not materially affecting the service member's ability to respond. This protection exists at the federal level and overrides standard Arizona default procedures.