We are all indebted to our local service men and women for the sacrifices they make to keep our country safe. We may not always appreciate, however, one of the biggest sacrifices: time with their family. As a result of deployment, travel and reassignment, thousands of service members are forced to give up precious time with their spouses and children.
This stress on a marriage often results in divorce, especially in the Air Force. In fact, the military has reported that divorce rates among men and women serving in the armed forces has been steadily increasing after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars started. Minnesota, with its wealth of patriotic members in the military, has seen the effects first hand.
While military families do their best to stick together, the unique stress and demands of the job can sometime be too much. When divorce becomes necessary, local families need to make plans to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
Marriages do not always last. In fact, many estimates say more than 50% fail. Adults can accept this fact. A parent-child relationship, however, should be for life. Therefore, most military families can accept a divorce but cannot accept losing their relationships with their children.
Local Minneapolis and St. Paul family law attorneys can help those affected by divorce protect these relationships. From figuring out how to delineate child custody to drafting visitation plans and parenting agreements, local lawyers excel at helping to ensure a divorce does not destroy parents’ ability to continue to build relationships with their kids.
Source: Army Times, “Divorce and the Air Force: Who stays married and who doesn’t,” Oriana Pawlyk, April 28, 2014