Military & Biotech Specialist
Military retirement, biotech equity, coastal real estate — California's community property law requires expertise. This guide shows you what to protect.
Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® & CFP® | Specializing in military and gray divorce
Turn Panic Into Power — $97If you're over 50 and facing divorce in San Diego or North County, child custody is likely not your primary concern—your children are grown, in college, or serving in the military themselves. Instead, you're navigating the financial complexity of dividing decades of accumulated assets, often including military pension benefits and coastal real estate.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed the household finances. Perhaps your spouse handled military benefits, TSP accounts, VA benefits, and real estate decisions while you focused on family through multiple deployments and relocations. Now you're facing questions like:
San Diego is one of America's largest military hubs — with Camp Pendleton, Naval Base San Diego, and MCAS Miramar. It's also a biotech powerhouse. And that creates divorce scenarios found nowhere else.
Do you actually understand what you're entitled to? Military pensions with the 10/10 and 20/20/20 rules. TRICARE benefits that could end — or continue for life. Stock options from Illumina or biotech startups. Coastal property worth 5x what you paid. Which are community property? What happens to your healthcare?
Your spouse has managed these benefits for 20+ years. They understand the Survivor Benefit Plan, the TSP, the vesting schedules on their biotech compensation.
You're seeing these documents for the first time — while negotiating a settlement that could be worth $1-3 million.
Military and biotech compensation isn't magic. It's complicated — but complicated has solutions. You need someone who can decode the pension statements, translate the vesting schedules, and show you exactly what's yours under California community property law.
The difference between understanding these assets and not? It can easily be $300,000-$500,000 in your final settlement.
San Diego is home to major military installations (Naval Base San Diego, Camp Pendleton, MCAS Miramar, Coronado), making military pension division a common issue in gray divorces.
The 10/10 Rule: If you were married for at least 10 years while your spouse served at least 10 years of creditable military service, you may receive direct payment from DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) of your share of the pension.
The 20/20/20 Rule: If you were married for at least 20 years, your spouse served at least 20 years, and there was at least 20 years of overlap, you retain full military benefits including TRICARE healthcare for life (even after divorce).
For those new to military benefits: Military retirement is more complex than civilian pensions. It includes base pay retirement, potential disability payments, VA benefits, and Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) decisions. Each has different division rules.
Many military and federal civilian employees in San Diego have TSP accounts (the federal government's version of a 401(k)). TSPs are divided via court order, but the process differs from private sector QDROs.
Important: TSP accounts often contain decades of contributions and growth. Proper division requires understanding both California community property law and federal TSP regulations.
San Diego coastal property (La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Coronado) has appreciated dramatically. Homes purchased 20-30 years ago for $300K-$500K may now be worth $1.5M-$3M or more.
Key decisions for gray divorce:
Military considerations: Many military families bought homes in San Diego and never left after retirement. That 30-year-old home purchase may now be your largest asset.
Beyond military, San Diego has thriving biotech and defense contracting industries. Employees often have stock options, RSUs, and profit-sharing plans that require specialized division knowledge.
If your spouse works for Qualcomm, Illumina, or other major San Diego employers, understanding tech compensation division is critical.
In San Diego, we work with clients divorcing after 20, 30, or 40+ years of marriage—often military marriages with unique financial considerations:
After decades of military service, the pension and healthcare benefits may be your most valuable assets. Understanding your rights is critical:
San Diego's cost of living is high, though not as extreme as Bay Area or LA. For gray divorce clients approaching retirement:
Many of our San Diego clients—particularly military spouses who moved every 2-3 years and focused on family stability—have never personally managed military retirement systems, TSP accounts, or VA benefits.
You're not alone: Military benefits are complex, but they're learnable. We help you understand what you're entitled to and how to access it post-divorce.
While our primary focus is gray divorce (50+ with grown children), some clients have high school or college-age children. California's child support formula applies, regardless of military status. However, for most 50+ clients, children are independent, and divorce centers on military pension division and asset protection.
As a San Diego resident, your divorce follows California's strict community property laws, which interact with federal military benefits laws:
The Rule of 65: If your age plus years of marriage equals 65 or more, spousal support may continue indefinitely—important for military spouses who supported careers through multiple deployments.
Learn more about California's community property laws →
We provide virtual divorce financial planning services throughout San Diego County, including:
The 5-step system that shows you what you'll actually live on, so you stop guessing and start knowing.
Calculate your real post-divorce income — including spousal support, assets, and earning potential — so you negotiate from facts, not fear.
Document gathering checklists tell you exactly what to bring to your attorney — so you walk in prepared, not panicked.
Map out your real expenses as a single person — before you fight for something you can't actually maintain.
The asset identification system helps you find accounts and property you might not even know exist.
22-page guide + video tutorials + checklists + templates
$97
Instant access. 100% money-back guarantee.
Get the Clarity You Need — $97Whether you've managed military benefits for years or you're learning about pension division for the first time, we provide the education and guidance you need.
Turn Panic Into Power — $97 Schedule a Strategy Session