Military & Gray Divorce Specialist
Military retirement, federal benefits, real estate — Washington's community property law requires expertise. This guide shows you exactly 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 Tacoma or South Sound, custody battles aren't your concern—your children are grown, independent, or serving in the military themselves. Instead, you're navigating the financial complexity of dividing military pensions from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), healthcare practice assets, retirement accounts, and real estate—all under Washington's community property rules with ZERO state income tax, in a more affordable alternative to Seattle.
This is especially challenging if you've never personally managed household finances. Perhaps your spouse handled the military pension, VA benefits, TSP accounts, or other finances during 20+ years of service while you focused on family through multiple deployments and relocations. Now you're facing questions like:
Military pensions. TSP accounts. VA disability. Survivor Benefit Plans. TRICARE eligibility. You've heard these terms for decades.
But do you actually understand how they're divided? What the 10/10 rule means for direct payments? Whether you qualify for 20/20/20 benefits? How VA disability waivers can reduce your share of the pension?
Your spouse navigated DFAS paperwork for 20 years. They understand the retirement system inside and out.
You're seeing military retirement statements for the first time — while negotiating a settlement that could be worth $500,000-$1 million in lifetime pension benefits.
Military benefits aren't magic. They're complicated — but complicated has solutions. You need someone who can decode the LES statements, translate the pension formulas, and show you exactly what's yours under Washington community property law.
The difference between understanding military benefits and not? It can easily be $200,000-$400,000 in your final settlement.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is one of the largest military installations on the West Coast. Military pensions are a major divorce asset:
Key military pension rules:
Military members and federal civilian employees contribute to TSP (similar to 401(k)):
Important limitation: VA disability compensation is NOT divisible in divorce—it's the veteran's separate property. However, it affects pension calculations:
Beyond the military, Tacoma has healthcare and manufacturing sectors:
Practices and retirement benefits built during marriage are community property.
Tacoma is significantly more affordable than Seattle, affecting post-divorce planning:
Housing costs:
Post-divorce affordability: More feasible for one spouse to keep the home than in Seattle, especially with military pension or VA benefits.
In Tacoma, we work with clients divorcing after 20, 30, or 40+ years—often after full military careers. Here's what makes gray divorce financially complex:
If your spouse served 20-30 years at JBLM, the pension is likely your most valuable asset:
If you qualify for 20/20/20, you keep full military healthcare (TRICARE) even after divorce—massive value if you're under 65 and not yet on Medicare.
Military members who maximized TSP contributions for 20-30 years may have $300K-$800K+ in accounts. Community property means 50/50 split.
Tacoma offers advantages for post-divorce retirement:
Many of our Tacoma clients—particularly non-military spouses who moved frequently for the service member's career—have never personally navigated DFAS payments, TSP accounts, or VA benefits.
You're not alone: Military retirement systems are complex, but learnable. We help you understand what you're entitled to and how to access it.
While our primary focus is gray divorce (50+ with grown children), some military families have high school or college-age children. Washington child support applies. However, for most 50+ clients, children are independent.
As a Tacoma resident, your divorce follows Washington community property law (plus federal military pension rules):
Maintenance (alimony): Courts consider statutory factors; military pension income affects calculations.
Learn more about Washington divorce laws and community property →
We provide virtual divorce financial planning services throughout Tacoma and South Sound, 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 military pension share, TSP division, and spousal maintenance — 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 on a military pension share.
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 the 10/10 rule for the first time, you need someone whose only job is protecting your financial future.
Turn Panic Into Power — $97 Schedule a Strategy Session