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OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Family Law Attorneys · Pentagon City, Virginia
In a military divorce, the pension is usually the biggest thing on the table.
For a career service member in Pentagon City, the retirement is often worth more than the house and the savings combined. Virginia divides the marital share of it, within the limits federal law sets. We help Pentagon City families get the share and the order right, with the case heard at the Arlington County Justice Center. Reach us when you are ready.
A first call is steady, and it costs nothing.
You Are Not Alone
In the shadow of the Pentagon, long careers and senior ranks are common, and so are these questions. None of them do it alone, and neither will you.
Marital share
only the part earned during the marriage is divided
Va. Code § 20-107.3
USFSPA
federal law lets a state court divide disposable retired pay
10 U.S.C. § 1408
10/10
ten years of marriage over ten years of service for direct pay
Direct payment by DFAS
50+
years of combined family law practice
Three Northern Virginia offices
What We Handle
Family law help for Pentagon City families.
When a military pension is the largest asset in the marriage, the division has to follow both Virginia law and federal rules exactly. Here is the work we take on.
Looking for a family law attorney near Pentagon City? NOVA Legal Professionals helps Pentagon City service members and spouses divide military retirement under the USFSPA, and handles divorce, custody, and support, with cases at the Arlington County Justice Center. Talk with an attorney at 571.260.0999.
01 /
The matter of the pension.
01
Contested Divorce
When you and your spouse cannot agree, an Arlington judge decides. We build the case, negotiate where we can, and try it when settlement is off the table.
When You Cannot Agree 02Equitable Distribution
Virginia divides the marital share of the pension and other property by what is fair. We work every factor so the result reflects the marriage.
Fair, Not Equal 03Asset Division
The home, the accounts, the TSP, and the military pension, we identify and value every marital asset so the division is clear and final.
The Marital Estate 04Separation Agreements
A clear separation agreement sets the pension share, the survivor election, and the rest. We draft yours so the retirement order is built to last.
First Protection 05Child Support
Child support follows the state guideline, built on both incomes and the parenting schedule. We make sure the inputs, including allowances, are right.
Guideline & Beyond 06Custody & Parenting
A parenting plan should fit a service family's real week. We shape custody and visitation around duty, school, and your children's routine.
Parenting Time 07Spousal Support
Spousal support steadies a household while it resets. Whether you would pay or receive it, we work toward a fair amount and a fair term.
Maintenance 08Military Divorce
Military retired pay is divided under the USFSPA, only the marital share, and within federal limits. We draft orders the pay center will honor, survivor benefit included.
Service MembersWhere Your Case Is Heard
Where a Pentagon City case is heard.
Pentagon City sits at Arlington's southern edge, near the Pentagon. A divorce is filed in the Arlington County Circuit Court; custody and support on their own go to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, both inside the Arlington County Justice Center at 1425 North Courthouse Road.
Circuit Court
Arlington County Circuit Court
17th Judicial Circuit
HearsThe divorce, and the division of the military pension and other property.
DecidesEquitable distribution, plus support and custody when part of the divorce.
Where1425 North Courthouse Road, in the Courthouse neighborhood, the 17th Judicial Circuit.
NoteRetirement orders are reviewed strictly, so the wording has to be exact.
J&DR Court
Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court
Family matters outside a divorce
HearsCustody, visitation, child support, and protective orders on their own.
StartMost cases open at the intake desk before a hearing is set.
WhereThe same Justice Center on North Courthouse Road, Suite 4100.
NoteYou file where you and your spouse last lived together, which for Arlington couples is Arlington.
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insights
What I tell Pentagon City clients about the pension.
A pension is built over a whole career, often more than the house and savings combined. Getting the share and the order right is the difference between settled and unraveled.
- 1
Start with the dates
The marital share rests entirely on accurate service dates and marriage dates, usually the months married during service over the total months of service. We pin those down first, because every number that follows depends on them.
- 2
The 10/10 rule is about payment, not entitlement
Ten years of marriage overlapping ten years of service lets the pay center pay a former spouse directly. Short of that, the spouse is still owed a share; the service member simply pays it. Confusing the two has cost people money.
- 3
Handle the survivor benefit in the same breath
Dividing a pension does not protect a former spouse if the retiree dies first. The Survivor Benefit Plan has to be addressed in the same order, or a gap opens that no one notices until it is too late.
Why Families Trust Us
Help dividing a military pension.
When a career's retirement is on the line, you want counsel who knows the federal rules and drafts orders the pay center will honor.
Experience
50+
Years Combined
Years of dividing military retirement for Pentagon City and Arlington families.
Expertise
100%
Family Law Focus
Family law is the whole practice, military pensions included.
Authority
AV
Preeminent Rated
Peer rated AV Preeminent, listed in Super Lawyers, and rated 10.0 on Avvo.
Trust
5★
Verified Reviews
Verified five star reviews from military families and others across Northern Virginia.
Recognition
Recognition earned over a career.
We have helped Pentagon City service members and spouses divide military retirement correctly, with the survivor benefit in place, so a career's reward was protected and the result stayed settled.
Our commitment to Pentagon City
From Our Clients
Pentagon City families in their own words.
Read what Pentagon City clients have shared about dividing military retirement with our attorneys.
Questions People Actually Ask
Plain answers, about military retirement.
These are the questions Pentagon City families ask first. If yours is not here, just ask.
Have a question about dividing a pension?Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
Is the whole pension divided in a divorce?
No. Virginia generally divides only the marital share, the part earned during the marriage, usually measured by the months married during service over the total months of service. Service before the marriage stays separate.
What does the USFSPA do?
It lets a state court treat disposable military retired pay as marital property and divide it, and it sets the 10/10 rule for direct payment by the pay center. It does not dictate the size of the split; Virginia law decides that.
Do I lose my share under ten years?
No. The 10/10 rule only decides whether the pay center pays you directly. A former spouse married less than ten years overlapping service can still receive a share, paid by the service member instead.
Can the order be prepared while deployed?
Yes. The service record review, the marital share calculation, and the drafting can move forward by phone and email while a service member is stationed elsewhere or deployed overseas, then filed when ready.
Where is a Pentagon City divorce filed?
In the Arlington County Circuit Court at the Justice Center, 1425 North Courthouse Road, the 17th Judicial Circuit. Custody or support on their own start at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in the same building.
Before You Decide
Reading for military families.
Plain English guides Pentagon City families reach for most.
A
Military Retirement Division in Pentagon City
How the marital share, the 10/10 rule, and the order all work together.
Military DivorceBHow Do I Get a Divorce in Virginia?
The plain English overview of grounds, timelines, and the steps to a final decree.
Virginia GuideCWho Pays the Bills?
How couples handle the mortgage, the cards, and everyday costs during a separation.
SeparationWhen You Are Ready
When you are ready, let's divide it right.
Tell us your service and marriage dates, and we will help you divide the retirement correctly in your Pentagon City divorce.