What your family keeps if you divorce or die is set by a handful of rules most people never read until they need them. A state court divides retired pay within limits the USFSPA sets, and SBP and DIC decide what a surviving spouse gets.
Start with how retired pay is divided in divorce and whether SBP is worth its cost.
Your rank, years, VA rating and state, worked out after tax.
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How a divorce court splits military retired pay under the USFSPA, what the 10/10 rule really does, the frozen benefit rule for divorces after 2016, and what a court can't divide. Worked examples on the 2026 pay tables, what the split does to your take-home, and the Supreme Court case on indemnification agreements it agreed to hear in October 2026.
Should you elect SBP for your military retirement? Complete 2026 analysis with real cost examples, SBP vs life insurance comparison, DIC offset rules, and a decision framework to help you choose.
DFAS lost a 2022 appeal, and in February 2026 DoD rewrote the rules DFAS follows to match. CRDP paid to Chapter 61 medical retirees with 20 or more years and a VA rating of 50% or more is now divisible in a divorce. Who it reaches, a worked example on 2026 pay, and how the CRSC election changes it.
$1,621/month for 36 months from October 2026, and since August 1, 2023 there's no age limit or deadline. When to choose the Fry Scholarship instead, and how to stack Chapter 35 on a state tuition waiver for near-zero college costs.
The VA caregiver stipend pays $1,896 to $3,793/month tax-free, but most applications are denied. Full guide to Level 1 vs Level 2 pay by location, CHAMPVA health insurance, the application process, and exactly how to strengthen a denied claim.
$1,699.36/month tax-free for surviving spouses. Your family may qualify even if the veteran's death wasn't service-connected (the 10-year rule). 2026 rates, add-ons up to $3,600/month, SBP stacking, remarriage rules, and how to apply.
See what you take home and the civilian salary it takes to match it.
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