Ontario, California — Military Divorce Lawyers

Military Divorce Attorneys
Serving San Bernardino & Riverside County

At Haslam Perri Law Firm, we represent military husbands and wives throughout San Bernardino County and Riverside County — handling every unique complexity of military divorce with nearly 40 years of board-certified experience.

Military Divorce Specialists
San Bernardino & Riverside County
SCRA & USFSPA Expertise
Federal military law knowledge
Deployment Custody Plans
Workable arrangements for service members
Board-Certified Since 2003
Top 1% of CA family law attorneys

Military Divorce — Ontario CA

Experienced Military Divorce Lawyers on Your Side

Haslam Perri Law Firm represents military husbands and wives throughout San Bernardino County and Riverside County. A military divorce proceeds in much the same way as a civilian divorce — but special consideration must be made regarding child custody, child support, and the division of military property and benefits.

Donald Glen Haslam and our board-certified team have been serving Inland Empire military families since 2003. We provide highly skilled legal help to parents who are concerned about child custody and visitation arrangements when one parent is active duty, stationed abroad, deployed, or relocates frequently.

We understand the sacrifice service members and their families make. Our goal is to find workable, reasonable, and favorable arrangements given your unique military circumstances — protecting your rights and your children’s best interests at every step.

  • Representing both service members and military spouses
  • Serving San Bernardino County and Riverside County
  • Experienced in SCRA, USFSPA, SBP, and BAH
  • Deployment-specific child custody planning
  • Military pension and retirement pay division
40+
Years Experience
2
Counties Served
AV
Martindale Rated
1%
Board-Certified

Military Law We Handle

  • USFSPA — Military Pension Division
  • SCRA — Servicemembers Civil Relief
  • SBP — Survivor Benefit Plan
  • Military Disability Pay
  • BAH and Military Allowances

Child Custody in Military Divorce

Protecting Your Children When One Parent Serves

Deployment, overseas assignments, and frequent relocation create unique child custody challenges for military families. Our attorneys craft parenting plans that are workable, reasonable, and favorable — protecting your relationship with your children regardless of where your service takes you.

Military Property Division

Division of Military Benefits and Retirement Pay

Haslam Perri Law Firm has significant knowledge of the complexities surrounding property division in a military divorce. The central issue is the military retirement plan — which may be divided between you and your spouse under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA). Our attorneys ensure every military benefit is properly identified, valued, and protected.

USFSPA — Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act
Military pensions are divided under USFSPA. California courts treat military retirement as community property. We ensure the division order is properly structured and filed with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).
Military Retirement Pay
Calculating and dividing military retirement pay requires knowledge of the 10/10 rule, the formula for reserved retirement, and the difference between defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans.
Military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
The SBP provides ongoing annuity payments to a designated beneficiary after a service member's death. Failing to address SBP coverage in your divorce agreement can permanently eliminate this benefit for a former spouse.
Military Disability Pay
Military disability pay is generally not divisible as marital property — but it can affect the amount of retirement pay available for division. Our attorneys protect your rights regarding disability pay offset issues.
Military Waivers and Offsets
When a service member waives retirement pay to receive disability benefits, the former spouse's share may be reduced. We fight to protect former spouses from unfair waivers and offset arrangements.
BAH, BAS, and Other Military Allowances
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) are included in child support and spousal support calculations. We ensure all military income sources are properly accounted for.

Client Testimonials

What Our Military Divorce Clients Say

★★★★★

"As an active duty service member going through divorce, I needed attorneys who understood military law. Haslam Perri protected my pension rights and worked around my deployment schedule. Outstanding firm."

Sgt. James P.
Active Duty — San Bernardino County
★★★★★

"My husband was stationed overseas during our divorce. Donald Haslam made sure my children and I were fully protected — custody, support, and my share of his military pension."

Maria L.
Military Spouse — Ontario, CA
★★★★★

"Haslam Perri handled every aspect of my military divorce — USFSPA, SBP, and child custody during deployment. Their knowledge of military-specific law is unmatched in San Bernardino County."

Captain T. Brooks
Retired Military — Riverside County

Frequently Asked Questions

Military Divorce — Questions Answered

Clear answers to the most common military divorce questions for service members and spouses in Ontario, CA. Call us for a free consultation specific to your situation.

Military divorce in California follows the same general process as a civilian divorce but involves additional legal considerations. Federal laws such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) affect property division, pension rights, and certain court proceedings. Child custody arrangements must account for deployments and overseas assignments. At Haslam Perri Law Firm, our attorneys have nearly 40 years of experience navigating these unique complexities for families throughout San Bernardino County and Riverside County.

Military retirement pay is divided under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA). California courts treat military retirement as community property subject to division. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) can make direct payments to a former spouse if the marriage overlapped with at least 10 years of military service — known as the 10/10 rule. Our attorneys ensure all USFSPA requirements are properly addressed in your divorce settlement.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) protects active duty service members from certain civil court proceedings, including divorce. Under the SCRA, a service member may request a stay — or postponement — of divorce proceedings while on active duty. This protection exists to prevent service members from being disadvantaged by court proceedings while they are unable to participate. Understanding and properly applying SCRA protections is critical in every military divorce case.

Deployment and frequent relocation create unique challenges in military custody arrangements. California courts consider the best interests of the child while accounting for a service member’s unique schedule. Our attorneys craft detailed parenting plans that address deployment periods, overseas assignments, temporary custody modifications during deployment, and reunification protocols when a service member returns home. We find workable, reasonable, and favorable arrangements for every family’s unique circumstances.

The Military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) provides ongoing annuity payments to a designated beneficiary — typically a spouse — after a retired service member’s death. In divorce, the former spouse can be designated as the SBP beneficiary, preserving their right to receive payments even after remarriage under certain conditions. Failing to address SBP coverage in your divorce agreement can result in the permanent loss of this benefit. Our attorneys ensure SBP elections are properly handled.

Yes. Military pay, allowances, and benefits are considered income for child support calculation purposes under California law. Even when a service member is deployed overseas, child support obligations remain enforceable. Our attorneys at Haslam Perri Law Firm craft child support plans that account for military pay structures — including base pay, BAH, BAS, and other allowances — to protect your children’s financial interests throughout the divorce process.

Schedule Your Military Divorce Consultation Today

If you are in the armed services or married to a person in the military and considering a divorce, call our firm today. We are experienced in military divorce and ready to protect your rights — immediately.