Military Families & Frequent Moves

Military pay and frequent moves add wrinkles to a support case — but the order follows the service member wherever they're stationed.

Read the LES

A Leave and Earnings Statement has many components — base pay, housing (BAH), subsistence (BAS), COLA, special pays, and bonuses — and courts typically count them toward support. Once an IWO is DFAS-compliant, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service deducts from military pay and routes it to the SDU, and that withholding persists through duty-station changes.

Deployment and SCRA

Extended deployments cut overnights and raise travel costs; some courts allow parenting-time credits and travel-cost sharing. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can delay proceedings during active duty — but it doesn't erase the obligation, and it requires proper declarations and an interim payment proposal.

Retirement and coverage

Military retired pay is garnishable for support, and a VA disability election that reduces retirement income can require recalculating the order. Tricare and DoD childcare programs also affect add-on calculations. Keep a current LES with every motion and put DFAS addresses and case numbers on the order.

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