If you or your spouse is a member of the U.S. armed forces stationed in Virginia, then “readiness” is a theme with which you are undoubtedly familiar. While the army, in particular, is prone to jokes about “hurrying up to wait,” the idea of being as prepared and ready as possible is integral to military training and military family life, especially if the service member in question is likely to deploy overseas.
A family care plan is a valuable tool if you have children and are planning to travel abroad on active duty or are the stay-at-home spouse whose partner will deploy. If you’re one of many military households that will soon be navigating divorce, you’ll definitely want to make sure to update your family care plan.
Benefits of having a family care plan
Your specific military unit may have already required you to draft and sign a family care plan. If not, you can inquire about how to do so with the proper officials. The following list shows numerous benefits of maintaining an updated family care plan:
- You can assign a legal guardian for your children with a Power of Attorney that allows him or her to make decisions on your children’s behalf should it become necessary.
- You can arrange for housing, food and transportation.
- It is easy to incorporate instructions regarding emergency care of your children into a family care plan.
- Medical care, education and child custody issues may be covered in a plan as well.
- Your will can be part of your family care plan.
- You and your spouse can agree to a person or people who will take short-term or long-term care of your kids if you and your spouse are both deployed.
If you’re going through a divorce and you or your spouse is away on active duty, the family care plan comes in handy. You can be as thorough as you want when writing out terms and instructions.
If legal problems arise regarding child custody or your family care plan
Child custody is a complex issue, especially if you and your spouse disagree about what’s best for your kids in a specific set of circumstances. The more issues you can resolve and agree upon in a family care plan, the better.
It’s not uncommon for military parents to encounter challenges regarding divorce. However, a concerned parent can discuss his or her case with someone on or off base who is well-versed in Virginia divorce and child custody regulations to help alleviate stress and determine a best course of action in a particular set of circumstances.
