BarbriSFCourseDetails
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Course Details

Course Information
  • smart_display Format

    On-Demand

  • signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level

    Intermediate

  • work Practice Area

    Family Law

Date & Time
  • event Date

    Wednesday, July 26, 2023

  • schedule Time

    1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT

  • timer Program Length

    90 minutes

Credit Information

  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.

$197.00
CLE
ALL

This CLE course will prepare family law attorneys to represent military spouses seeking Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage and service members defending against SBP coverage for a former spouse in the event of a divorce. The panel will discuss strategies for service members or retirees attempting to deny SBP coverage to a former spouse, outline factors to consider in evaluating whether or not a spouse should demand SBP coverage, and review recent court cases dealing with SBP disputes in military divorces.

Faculty

Kaitlin Kober
Attorney
Parker Bryan Britt Tanner & Jenkins, PLLC

Ms. Kober began her career working at a boutique family law firm. This provided Ms. Kober with significant hands-on experience as she worked one-on-one with clients from start to finish. For Ms. Kober, it was this experience that helped mold her into the enthusiastic advocate she is today.

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G. Brentley Tanner
Partner
Parker Bryan Britt Tanner & Jenkins, PLLC

Mr. Tanner represents clients in all aspects of family law involving service members and spouses. He has published articles in the areas of federal pension division and property division by North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly, Pennsylvania Family Lawyer, and in the Member’s Online Resource Center of the American Bar Association Family Law Section.

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Description

The SBP allows service members to provide for certain beneficiaries by purchasing an annuity that pays a defined monthly benefit upon the service member's death. The benefit amount is a percentage of the service member's retirement benefits and the beneficiary receives benefits for the duration of his or her lifetime. Service members must elect to participate in the SBP--typically at the time of retirement--and pay premiums based on the amount of coverage elected.

In a military divorce, an election for former spouse coverage under the SBP gives income protection to a service member's former spouse. However, SBP coverage can become a contested issue when coverage for a former spouse precludes coverage for a current spouse.

In many cases, the service member or retiree does not want the former spouse to have SBP coverage for a variety of reasons, including cost, marriage of short duration, subsequent remarriage, or the contentious circumstances surrounding a divorce. Spouses may automatically demand SBP coverage even when it is not the most effective method for ensuring an interest in the service member's military retirement benefits.

Understanding the costs, benefits, and implementation of the SBP and former spouse coverage is critical. Practitioners must know the deadlines for application, selection of the base amount, and who will pay the premiums.

Listen as our panel of expert family law attorneys discusses the complexities of former spouse coverage under the SBP. The panel will discuss considerations and strategies for counsel to service members and spouses seeking to avoid or claim benefits, drafting techniques for ensuring the settlement agreement protects the client's interest in SBP coverage and benefits, and the key procedural rules and deadlines for making an effective SBP election.

Outline

  1. Overview of SBPs
  2. Former spouse SBP election
  3. Drafting settlement agreements to address SBP coverage
  4. Strategies for servicemembers
  5. Strategies for spouses

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key issues:

  • What factors should spouses consider when deciding whether to demand SBP coverage?
  • How have courts dealt with SBP coverage disputes?
  • What strategies can help servicemembers avoid SBP coverage for a former spouse?
  • What settlement agreement drafting techniques are most effective for avoiding SBP disputes?