When it comes to families and the military, there are two considerations that couples must consider: military life is not for every marriage, and divorce is more complex when one or both members of a marriage serve or have served in the military. The sad fact is that the difficult life of a service member can take its toll on a marriage, and if a military couple decides to divorce, they should be prepared for the difficulties they may face.
Of course, members of the military will most certainly face all of the same issues that civilian couples face when it comes to divorce, including asset division, spousal support and child support, but each of these issues will likely be more complex for military couples. This is especially true if the service member is deployed overseas and is unable to attend court hearings or unable to make necessary arrangements following a divorce settlement.
For example, as with most other marriages, when military couples divorce, courts will likely set a monthly amount of spousal support (alimony) that one party must pay to the other. If there is a child involved, then one party will have to pay child support to the other. If you are deployed overseas, you may not be able to arrange to have these support payments made, but it is important to note that this does not exempt you from the payments.
The courts have ways of enforcing their support orders. Your wages could be garnished in order to make the payments, or you could face involuntary allotment. One way or another, the payments will be recovered, and you may not even be around to protect your own interests. This is why Texas residents are encouraged to enlist the aid of an attorney, so that deployed service members have legal assistance stateside in order to help them manage their affairs from a legal perspective.