Highlights

• Scott Levin has extensive experience working with military families and creating child custody plans for active-duty service members. He successfully mediated a divorce that included an agreement for the non-active duty parent to move to the same city as the active duty parent in the future. The settlement was submitted to the court in less than two months and was finalized soon thereafter.
• Before choosing Scott to mediate, the spent more than a year and a combined $43,000 using attorneys. Replacing the lawyers with Scott saved the couple from a litigated divorce lasting another two years, costing another $75,000 and destroying their co-parenting relationship.

Case Details

After having spent more than a year stuck in a litigated divorce without any forward progress, John and Mary* chose Scott Levin as their mediator. Mary is active-duty military and John is retired from the military working a civilian job. John and Mary wanted a parenting plan for their son that will not only address their time in San Diego, but how custody may change when Mary is stationed on the east coast. The couple also needed helping determining child and spousal support. A substantial portion of Mary’s income includes the basic allowance for housing (BAH) and they wanted to avoid a reduction of BAH in the divorce settlement was critical.

Scott helped the couple agree to a 50-50 plan that allowed them to both have time with their son every few days. For the out-of-state scenario, Scott presented several options that helped both parents realize they did not want a long-distance custody plan. Instead, John agreed to move to wherever Mary relocates — keeping the family together.

Results

Scott’s understanding and experience working with active-duty military couples allows him to draft a custody plan that is agreeable to both John and Mary, for their time San Diego and out of state, and preserves Mary’s BAH pay. As a result, the family retains the most possible income, which is a huge win for their son. Scott helped calculate the rights each spouse has in the other’s military pension and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) retirements and resolves all the complexities and questions in the mediation. The military divorce mediation ended with a creative and amicable settlement that allowed John and Mary to co-parent their son and feel comfortable embarking on their new paths forward.

“Scott is an amazing mediator, he works with compassion, responds quickly, and keeps you updated on your case. He explains everything in detail and listens to what you have to say. He works with you with a high level of professionalism.”

*Names changed