Military Retirement?

How long do you have to be married to someone in the military before you are able to receive a portion of their retirement even after divorce? Or is this even possible? My friends parents were married for 13 or 14 years before separating and her mother was a candidate for receiving a portion of his retirement funds until he dies.

Public Comments

1. 10 years.
2. 10 years.....to start at 25% then 2.5 after each year after that when you reach 20 years its 50% and a spouse can't get more than 50%.
3. Under the 1982 Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act, it's normally ten years if all those ten years were while the servicemember was active in the service...but that can be subject to state law. Also, if the servicemember can claim adultery or abuse on the other spouse, certain courts may not grant an automatic ten-year 50% retirement. That was the case with my stepdad who owed his ex-wife nothing. Also, a retired servicemember's disability pay is indivisible. So if the servicemember has 100% disability s/he gets to keep that tax-free pay. Disability is not considered joint property
4. ET1 is spot on, after 10 years you are entitled to whatever he/she gets for a pension no matter what unless the two parties come to an agreement in the courts that excludes it via a buyout, personal agreement, etc...A woman named Patricia Schroder from Colorado got that put in when she was in Congress.
5. It is a solid 10 years as others said. If she was married that long and none of this came up in the divorce she is eligible. The money is fine and well but is not the major deal..... getting miltary ID is. Even after someone dies having access to medical benefits and all of that more than the money.
6. blood suckers!