Military & Gray Divorce Specialist

Divorcing in Tacoma?
Military Pensions, JBLM Benefits, Defense Contractor Stock — Do You Know What's Yours?

Military retirement, federal benefits, real estate — Washington's community property law requires expertise. This guide shows you exactly what to protect.

Leanne Ozaine, CDFA® | Specializing in military and gray divorce

Before You Agree to Anything — $97

Important Disclaimer: Leanne Ozaine is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® and financial planner who provides financial education and coaching services only. She is not an attorney and does not provide legal advice. For legal guidance specific to Washington divorce law, always consult with a qualified family law attorney licensed in Washington.

Gray Divorce in Tacoma: Military Pensions & Affordable South Sound

If 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:

How is a military pension divided after 20-30 years of service?
What are the 10/10 rule and 20/20/20 rule for military pensions?
How do we divide TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) accounts?
Can I afford Tacoma on one income, or should I relocate?

Your Spouse Served 20 Years at JBLM. Do You Know What Portion of That Pension Is Yours?

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.

Before You Agree to Anything — Get the Guide →

What Makes Tacoma & South Sound Divorces Unique

Military Pension Division (JBLM)

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:

The 10/10 Rule: If married for 10+ years overlapping with 10+ years of military service, DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service) will pay spouse's share directly. Otherwise, service member must pay spouse directly.
The 20/20/20 Rule: If married 20+ years, service member served 20+ years, and 20+ years overlap, non-military spouse keeps full military benefits (healthcare, commissary, exchange) even after divorce.
The 20/20/15 Rule: If married 20+ years, service member served 20+ years, but only 15+ years overlap, non-military spouse keeps transitional healthcare for one year post-divorce.
Maximum division: Washington community property means 50/50 split of marital portion, but federal law caps direct payment at 50% of disposable retired pay.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Division

Military members and federal civilian employees contribute to TSP (similar to 401(k)):

TSP accumulated during marriage is community property
Requires court order to divide (not a traditional QDRO)
Can be transferred to ex-spouse's IRA or TSP account
Washington's zero income tax applies to future TSP withdrawals (federal tax only)

VA Disability Benefits

Important limitation: VA disability compensation is NOT divisible in divorce—it's the veteran's separate property. However, it affects pension calculations:

Veterans can waive military retirement pay to receive VA disability (tax-free)
This waiver reduces the divisible pension amount, hurting the non-military spouse
Some states "indemnify" (compensate) the non-military spouse for this reduction, but Washington law varies

Healthcare & Manufacturing

Beyond the military, Tacoma has healthcare and manufacturing sectors:

Healthcare: MultiCare Health System, CHI Franciscan medical practices
Manufacturing: Port of Tacoma-related industries, manufacturing plants
Professional practices: Medical, dental, legal practices serving South Sound

Practices and retirement benefits built during marriage are community property.

Affordable Tacoma Real Estate (Compared to Seattle)

Tacoma is significantly more affordable than Seattle, affecting post-divorce planning:

Housing costs:

Tacoma median home: $450K-$550K (vs. Seattle $800K-$1M+)
North End, Proctor District: Nicer neighborhoods $500K-$900K
Property taxes: $4K-$9K/year on typical homes

Post-divorce affordability: More feasible for one spouse to keep the home than in Seattle, especially with military pension or VA benefits.

Gray Divorce in Tacoma: The Financial Reality

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:

Military Pension Division After Career Service

If your spouse served 20-30 years at JBLM, the pension is likely your most valuable asset:

20-year military pension pays 50% of base pay for life
30-year pension pays 75% of base pay for life
Community property means 50/50 split of marital portion
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) election determines whether non-military spouse continues receiving pension if veteran dies

Healthcare Benefits Under 20/20/20 Rule

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.

TSP Account Division

Military members who maximized TSP contributions for 20-30 years may have $300K-$800K+ in accounts. Community property means 50/50 split.

Affordable Tacoma Retirement

Tacoma offers advantages for post-divorce retirement:

Lower housing costs than Seattle
Zero Washington state income tax
Access to JBLM commissary and exchange (if 20/20/20 qualified)
Proximity to Seattle without Seattle prices

Learning to Manage Military Benefits

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.

Child Support Considerations

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.

Washington Law Applies

As a Tacoma resident, your divorce follows Washington community property law (plus federal military pension rules):

Community property: All assets acquired during marriage divided 50/50
Military pensions: Marital portion divided 50/50 (subject to 10/10 and 20/20/20 rules)
TSP accounts: Accumulated during marriage are community property
Zero state income tax: Advantage for retirement income

Maintenance (alimony): Courts consider statutory factors; military pension income affects calculations.

Learn more about Washington divorce laws and community property →

Serving Tacoma & South Sound Communities

We provide virtual divorce financial planning services throughout Tacoma and South Sound, including:

Tacoma (all neighborhoods)
Lakewood (near JBLM)
University Place
Gig Harbor
Puyallup
Federal Way
And all South Sound communities

Before You Agree to Anything — See What This Actually Means For Your Life

In a divorce, dividing assets is only step one. This helps you understand how those assets will actually support your life.

Know what you'll actually have to live on

Calculate your real post-divorce income — including military pension share, TSP division, and spousal maintenance — so you negotiate from facts, not fear.

Never miss a document or account

Document gathering checklists tell you exactly what to bring to your attorney — so you walk in prepared, not panicked.

Know if you can really afford to keep the house

Map out your real expenses as a single person — before you fight for something you can't actually maintain on a military pension share.

Identify everything you own — and what your spouse might be hiding

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.

Slow This Down Before It's Final — $97

Before You Agree — Let's Make Sure This Actually Works

Whether 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.

Before You Agree to Anything — $97 Slow This Down →