Male military spouses more likely to face divorce, but may lack support

April 01, 2014 (Press-News.org) Male military spouses more likely to face divorce, but may lack support

Article provided by Anthony C. Williams & Associates, PC
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Today, women account for 15 percent of active duty U.S. military personnel. Married female armed service members are far more likely to divorce than their male counterparts. According to the Defense Department, the overall divorce rate in the military among both men and women was 3.4 percent in fiscal year 2013. But, 7.2 percent of women in the military reported a divorce during fiscal year 2013, making military women more than twice as likely to split with their spouse compared to male service members. The female service member divorce rate hit a high of 8 percent in 2011.

Divorce can be a challenging process for both men and women. When it comes to military spouses, however, support networks can be more difficult to come by for male military spouses going through a divorce, even though a man married to a female service member faces statistically high odds of divorce. Some pioneers are trying to change that and bring about opportunities for community support that are more geared toward male military spouses.

Macho Spouse forum one new support network for male military spouses

At most major U.S. military installations, "officers' wives" clubs and similar groups have been around for decades. But, only in relatively recent years have some of these groups begun to welcome male members and change their names to "spouses" clubs. In the event of a divorce, the social network provided by such a group can be a great emotional resource.

Finding these resources for male military spouses lacking, one Air Force husband started an online community known as Macho Spouse.

"I thought of the reason for Macho Spouse when I was looking for specific male military spouse help, and couldn't find any," Chris Pape, the founder of Macho Spouse, told KCEN news.

The Macho Spouse forum has proven to be a great resource for male military spouses looking for support through divorce, depression and other challenges they may face in the course of being a military spouse. In fact, in March of 2014 the Air Education and Training Command Joan Orr Spouse of the Year Award was given to Pape in recognition of his efforts in launching Macho Spouse.

Contact an attorney experienced in handling military family law matters

Resources like Macho Spouse that are geared toward male military spouses are likely to become even more relevant in the future, as military predictions indicate that within ten years women will comprise a quarter of the armed forces. Of course, community support is just one aspect of handling a family problem that a military spouse may encounter.

If you are a military spouse and are going through a divorce or some other family law crisis, it is important to proceed with the right legal help. Military family law matters are different than civilian family law issues, and you need a lawyer experienced in helping military families to give you the best chances at a successful outcome.

Talk to an attorney today about your family law concerns. With the right legal help, and by reaching out for community support, you can pursue a well rounded solution to your family law problem.