Little in military spouse life is more confusing than trying to figure out where
, exactly, you're from. More than just a conversation starter, the answer can dictate a world of decisions, including where to register your car, where to vote in elections and, perhaps most importantly, where to file state taxes.
What is the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act?
Typical Massachusetts Military Retirement Plans
Military marriages in Massachusetts experience strains and stresses in greater
capacity than other marriages due to the complications that their jobs put on both spouses. Though these marriages can be extremely stressful and difficult, the overall divorce rate among both male and female service members only averaged 3 percent in 2017. To be more precise, about 21,290 of 689,060 married troops divorced in 2017. The divorce process for members of the military is relatively uniform to those who are not in the service. The main difference for these individuals is how to divide their retirement plans.
Major Post-9/11 GI Bill Changes for Massachusetts Military Families
The changes build on the existing Post-9/11 GI Bill, and the most talked about
change is the one that removes the 15 year time limit for people to use their GI Bill benefit. For this reason, the new changes are being referred to as the "Forever GI Bill."
Massachusetts Military Families Experiencing Stressful Conditions
Blue Star Families' annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey provides a
comprehensive understanding of the experiences and challenges encountered by military families.
Domestic Violence Is a Crime Under Military Law in Massachusetts
Domestic violence officially become a separate crime under the Uniform Code of
Military Justice under the defense authorization act.
How to Serve a Massachusetts Service Member Who is Deployed - By Email
Service of U.S. state court paperwork is similar to serving on exclusive federal land
- the Army, for example, will first ascertain whether the servicemember will voluntarily accept service. If not, the requesting party is advised that he/she must comply with the requirements of the host nation or Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters.
Military Divorce Rate Declines in Massachusetts
The overall divorce rate among both male and female service members held
steady in fiscal 2017, marking the fourth year running that the rate has hovered between 3 percent and 3.1 percent.
Protecting Child Custody for Massachusetts Military Servicemembers
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act was passed at the start of World War II to
provide legal protection to those serving in the military. Congress later passed the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA) in 2003 to update the original legislation in order to better reflect modern times.
SCRA law recognizes that servicemembers, like all other U.S. residents, may become involved in civil conflict or family law, often by filing for divorce or being served divorce papers. However, when legal conflict arises, it is particularly difficult for these servicemembers to protect their legal rights when they are involved in training, deployed on assignment, or otherwise required to focus all of their energies on national defense.
Expanded Paternity Leave For Massachusetts Sailors
Officials with the U.S. Navy announced that the service branch will
more than double the amount of paid leave provided to Massachusetts sailors whose spouses have given birth. As early as February 2018 the Navy will increase the number of days a sailor can receive in paid time off for paternity leave from 10 to 21.
IRS Tax Tip: What Massachusetts Members of Military Should Know about the Earned Income Tax Credit
The IRS reminds members of the Massachusetts military and veterans that they 
may qualify for the earned income tax credit. This credit benefits certain people who work and have earned income that's less than $53,930.
