Military divorce, is defined as a divorce where one of the parties (the "service member") is active duty military, reserve or guard, or retired military. This is not a "legal" term that is recognized within the context of the law, but a lay term used to describe a divorce where one of the parties is a service member (regardless of the member's status).

Being a service couple does not exempt the parties from the same requirements that civilian couples must meet when filing for divorce. However, there are some states that have relaxed the residency requirements for active duty service personnel who want to file for divorce in the state in which they are stationed.

Military couples will also go through the same procedural process when divorcing. But they must also be aware that there are other factors that the typical civilian couple will not have to address, and which may prolong the process because of the very nature of one of the party's military service, such as an active duty assignment in a remote area, or a permanent station overseas.

Besides understanding the basic divorce process, it is imperative that military couples are knowledgeable in the factors that will affect their divorce as a result of military service. In fact, it may be even more important to know about the federal law that divides military retired pay, as your attorney will be the expert on your state's own laws about divorce.