Mark’s recognition as an expert in military retirement benefits came from a recent opinion of the Arkansas Court of Appeals. The October 3 decision, Hargis v. Hargis, involved the division of the ex-husband’s military pension. The divorce settlement gave the former wife half of the pension as of the date of divorce. The ex-wife, however, wanted half of the entire pension, including that earned before the marriage and after the divorce. Mark’s calculations carried the day, however, and the Court stated that he had correctly calculated the ex-wife’s share. The Court, recognizing him as a retired Army Reserve JAG colonel, cited him in the majority and the concurring opinion, and noted that Mark “is the author of a book [THE MILITARY DIVORCE HANDBOOK (Am. Bar Assn., 2d Ed. 2011)] on military divorce covering military retirement and pensions.”
Military Divorce
Costly Mistakes in Military Divorce
In too many military divorces, a client or lawyer makes a costly mistake. Often it’s because the client is unaware of the options or the law, someone relies on rumors and myths, “barracks lawyers” and buddies provide well-meaning but erroneous information, the attorney is unaware of the rules for military retirement and its division, or the rules themselves are too complex, illogical and confusing. For advice and assistance navigating your military divorce, call us at 919-832-8507 for a consultation.
