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How a long deployment may affect a Georgia divorce

Most Georgia residents understand that military deployments take an unbelievable toll on the enlisted member. Although not nearly as extreme, family members left behind are usually negatively impacted, as well. For some military members, they come back from a long employment to face the circumstance of divorce. The Department of Defense backed a study that revealed that there is a greater chance of divorce with an extended deployment.

A nine-year period and a sampling of just fewer than 500,000 married military members were used for the study. Before 9/11, it was found that 28 percent of marriages did not last more than three years if one or both partners were deployed for at least a year. In contrast, the rate of divorce for those couples who married after 9/11 was lower. It is thought the reason for that is that the couples were better prepared to handle the hardships of war and deployment.

The study showed that it did not matter when the couple got married or when the deployment took place, the longer the deployment, the greater the chance of divorce. A large number of divorces studied happened after returning from deployment. Women were more likely to ask for the divorce than men, and the chance of divorce was lessened if children from the marriage were involved.

For a military couple who believe divorce is the option they want to pursue, there are requirements in Georgia that must be met. Especially important to military members is the issue of residency. As the laws for divorce can get complicated, the type of representation chosen is of vital importance to protect the interests of the parties involved.

Source: Huffington Post, Military Divorce Risk Increases With Lengthy Deployments, No author, Sept. 3, 2013