Federal Divorce Specialist
FERS retirement, federal benefits, real estate — D.C.'s equitable distribution requires expertise. This guide shows you exactly what you're entitled to.
Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® & CFP® | Specializing in federal divorce
Turn Panic Into Power — $97The Problem: You've spent 20, 30, maybe 40 years building a federal career. Your FERS pension, TSP account, FEHB benefits, and DC real estate represent decades of service. But in divorce, these assets become battlegrounds — and most people don't understand how equitable distribution actually works until they've already made costly mistakes.
The Agitation: Your spouse's attorney knows exactly how to value a federal pension. Do you? Do you know the difference between a COAP and a QDRO? Do you understand how survivor benefits factor into settlement negotiations? What about the TSP — do you know why choosing the wrong division date could cost you tens of thousands? Every day you wait without this knowledge, you're negotiating blind.
The Solution: The Fearless Divorce Guide gives you the financial clarity you need to understand what you're entitled to, what questions to ask, and how to protect the retirement you've spent decades earning. Stop guessing. Start knowing.
If you're over 50 and facing divorce in Washington DC, you're navigating the nation's HIGHEST state income tax burden (4-10.75%) combined with extraordinary federal employee pensions, lobbying wealth, law firm partnerships, and think tank compensation. Your divorce likely isn't about custody battles—your children are grown and independent. Instead, your divorce centers on dividing decades of federal service pensions (FERS/CSRS), TSP accounts, Georgetown real estate, and high-net-worth professional assets under DC's equitable distribution law.
What makes DC unique: DC has the HIGHEST state income tax in America (4-10.75%), highest concentration of federal employees in the nation, K Street lobbying firms with million-dollar compensation, white-shoe law firm partnerships, prestigious think tanks (Brookings, Heritage, AEI), Georgetown/Dupont Circle/Capitol Hill ultra-prime real estate, and equitable distribution (not community property).
District of Columbia combines America's highest state income tax with the nation's densest concentration of federal employee pensions and lobbying wealth—extraordinary gray divorce planning.
For gray divorce: Federal pensions earned over 20-40 years + high DC taxes create complex planning for divorcing professionals 50+.
District of Columbia uses equitable distribution—property divided "fairly" based on multiple factors (NOT automatic 50/50 like community property states):
Marital property (subject to division):
Separate property (not divided):
DC equitable distribution factors:
Washington DC has the highest concentration of federal employees in America—and gray divorce in DC almost always involves federal pensions:
FERS (Federal Employees Retirement System):
CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System):
TSP (Thrift Savings Plan):
COAP (Court Order Acceptable for Processing):
Federal pensions require special court order called COAP (not a QDRO) to divide benefits. The marital portion is typically calculated using coverture fraction: (months of marriage during federal employment ÷ total months of federal employment).
Former spouse survivor benefits: Critical decision—can the non-employee spouse receive continued pension payments if the federal employee dies? This must be specifically negotiated and costs the employee spouse 10% of their pension benefit.
DC has the highest state income tax rate in the United States—this dramatically impacts divorce settlements:
DC income tax brackets (2025):
Why this matters for gray divorce:
Example impact: If you're earning $150K/year in DC, you're paying 8.5% DC tax ($12,750) PLUS federal tax. Compare to Virginia (5.75% max = $8,625) or Texas (0% state tax). Over retirement, this tax difference compounds dramatically.
DC is the epicenter of America's lobbying and legal industries—gray divorce often involves extraordinary professional compensation:
K Street lobbying firms:
White-shoe law firms:
Valuation challenges:
Income vs. asset division: High earners often negotiate property division in exchange for reduced alimony—this requires sophisticated financial modeling to ensure fairness.
DC concentrates prestigious think tanks and non-profit organizations with substantial executive compensation:
Major think tanks:
Retirement benefits:
Book deals and speaking fees: Senior think tank scholars often earn significant income from books, speaking engagements, and consulting—how is this income characterized for alimony purposes?
DC real estate in prime neighborhoods represents massive wealth accumulation for gray divorce couples:
Georgetown luxury:
Dupont Circle sophistication:
Capitol Hill charm:
Key real estate decisions:
FERS employees: FERS employees pay into Social Security, so they're eligible for full Social Security benefits plus ex-spouse Social Security benefits (if married 10+ years).
CSRS employees: CSRS employees do NOT pay into Social Security, so they receive NO Social Security benefits and are NOT eligible for ex-spouse Social Security benefits. However, they receive much higher CSRS pension instead.
Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO):
If you're divorcing a federal employee, health insurance is a critical consideration:
FEHB (Federal Employees Health Benefits):
Planning consideration: If you're close to the 30-year threshold, delaying divorce by even a year could secure lifetime health insurance worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill real estate. Federal pensions (FERS/CSRS/TSP), K Street lobbying, white-shoe law firms, think tanks, HIGHEST state taxes.
Learn more →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, federal pension share, and TSP division — so you negotiate from facts, not fear.
Document gathering checklists tell you exactly what to bring to your attorney — FERS statements, TSP records, SF-50s, and more — so you walk in prepared, not panicked.
Map out your real expenses as a single person — before you fight for Georgetown real estate you can't actually maintain on a divided pension.
The asset identification system helps you find accounts and property you might not even know exist — including deferred compensation and lobbying bonuses.
22-page guide + video tutorials + checklists + templates
$97
Instant access. 100% money-back guarantee.
Get the Clarity You Need — $97DC's combination of America's highest state income tax, federal employee pensions, lobbying wealth, and law firm partnerships requires expert planning for 50+ divorces.
Turn Panic Into Power — $97Schedule a Strategy Session