Opinion ID: 2549122
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The 10/10 requirement.

Text: This is a killer requirement. For a division of retired pay as property award to be enforceable under the USFSPA, the former spouse must have been married to the member for a period of 10 years or more during which the member performed at least 10 years of service creditable towards retirement eligibility. [14] This requirement does not apply to the Court's authority to divide military retired pay, but only to the ability of the former spouse to get direct payments from DFAS. This is a statutory requirement, and not a personal right of the member that can be waived. Although this requirement was probably included in the USFSPA to protect members, we have had more complaints about it from members than from former spouses. Assuming that a member intends to meet his or her legal obligations, the member would much rather have us pay the former spouse directly rather than have to write a check each month. It would lessen contact with the former spouse, and the former spouse would receive her or his own IRS Form 1099, instead of the member being taxed on the entire amount of military retired pay. If we cannot determine from the court order whether the 10/10 requirement has been met, we may ask the former spouse to provide a copy of the parties' marriage certificate. A recitation in the court order such as, The parties were married for 10 years or more while the member performed 10 years or more of military service creditable for retirement purposes will satisfy the 10/10 requirement.