The Air Force Is Doing It Right When It Comes to Child Custody

One of the most difficult and tiring aspects of any divorce involves the determination of child custody arrangements. This aspect of divorce is even more draining and stressful when one or both of the parents of the child serve in the U.S. military. Although laws are in place to assist families in the military facing divorce, traversing the court system in meeting the necessary procedural requirements can still be a great challenge.

Fortunately, parents serving in the U.S. Air Force facing child custody arrangement concerns have recently been afforded some much-needed help.

The case of Master Sgt. William Rotroff

Per the Air Force Times:

The Air Force on Aug. 17 began allowing airmen who have court-ordered child custody arrangements to ask to be stationed near their children for their next assignments, or to have their next assignments deferred if it would take them away from their kids. Previously, child custody arrangements were not considered as part of the assignment process.

Master Sgt. William Rotroff is the first happy recipient of this new process. He is taking up his next assignment at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the same area in which his ex-wife and his son, Chevvy, currently reside. Rotroff had been expecting to be stationed overseas, but when he learned that the Air Force would be considering child custody arrangements in their assignments, he “got more information on what was required from his Military Personnel Flight and carefully prepared his package to make sure he qualified.”

He did.

This is good news for Rotroff and his family, but the Air Force warns that sometimes, accommodations may not be feasible. “These assignment matches will be made when possible, the Air Force said, and it will try to accommodate airmen’s family situations, unless there is no other option.”

Help for other military parents in Tennessee facing child custody issues

The courts have been handling an increase in visitation and custody issues involving military parents as a result of the increase in overseas deployment during the past decade or more. Once a soldier’s commission to active duty, there is simply not enough time to weigh and resolve the various child custody matters that exist in some families through standard family court proceedings. As a result, some military parents feel compelled to act quickly prior to deployment. However, visitation custody procedures in many states are too complex to resolve the issues properly and fairly for the deployed military member. As a result, many negative results occur for service personnel.

The state of Tennessee has acted to address child custody issues in families with military parents deployed. The state passed and enacted the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act (UDPCVA).

Some of the most important provisions of this law are designed to assist service members in navigating child custody arrangements. These include:

• Protecting the rights of the other parent.
• Protecting the best interests of the child.
• Permitting temporary written agreements between both parties, which set forth custodial obligations of each parent of the child during deployment.
• Setting up childcare during deployment.
• Protect the legal rights of military parents who serve in the U.S.
• Permit the state to exercise continuing jurisdiction over visitation and custody issues, even if the military member is not in the state.
• Upon the service members return from deployment, enable the parent to experience seamless transition into the child’s life.
• Arrange for legal representation to meet out custodial responsibilities while deployment is in effect.
• Permit accelerated arrangements for co-parenting once deployment is announced

In Tennessee, the UDPCVA helps protects those who are in the front lines of protecting our freedoms. It establishes procedures and steps involving child custody and visitation issues and protects the rights of military parents when deployment happens.

At the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates, issues of child custody, child support, alimony, and divorce can bear down hard on military parents. We are here to support your rights in any child custody dispute or arrangement. To set up a case review, call us today at 615.977.9370 or complete our contact form. Our representation services extend the clients in Columbia, Brentwood, Franklin, and surrounding areas in Tennessee.