Military couples may have a right to special housing on the base when they are married. The government does try to give married couples their own space. They know that the military lifestyle can be hectic and involves frequent moves, so it’s not always the stable suburban life that many spouses have envisioned. Allowing on-base housing helps to make up for this, at least to a degree.
But what happens in a divorce? If the couple splits up, how soon does the spouse need to leave the military installation?
According to the military’s own resources, the general rule is that a person loses their housing rights roughly a month (30 days) after the divorce causes the service member to move out of the house. They technically say “within 30 days,” so it could be slightly less than a month.
It’s important for the spouse to note how this works so that they can line up some other type of housing or make plans to live on their own. They know, of course, that their living situation is going to change. In civilian life, though, there may not be a hard deadline. They have more control over the timeframe and what they choose to do. That is not always the case for military couples, and they must understand and adhere to all of these guidelines.
A military divorce can add on a few extra layers, as this issue demonstrates so well. Those who are thinking of splitting up need to take the time to consider how the divorce is the same as a civilian divorce, how it is different and what steps they need to take.
