Military Divorce: Value of Retired Pay

Military retired pay tends to be the largest asset in divorce.  Consider the following for active duty Servicemembers who retired in 2019 will pass away on their actuarial death:

  1. The present value for an O-6 who retired with 30 years of service is $2.41 million dollars.
  2.  The present value for an O-5 who retired with 28 years of service is $1.84 million dollars.
  3. The present value for an O-4 who retired with 24 years of service is $1.49 million dollars.
  4. The present value for an O-3E who retired with 20 years of service is $1.19 million dollars.
  5. The present value for an E-9 who retired with 30 years of service is $1.44 million dollars.
  6. The present value for an E-7 who retired with 24 years of service is $892.7 thousand dollars.
  7. The present value for an E-6 who retired with 20 years of service is $650.1 thousand dollars.

The source for these statistics is the “Statistical Report on the Military Retirement System for Fiscal Year 2018,” published in May 2019 by the Office of the Department of Defense Actuary.  See https://actuary.defense.gov/ (last accessed March 22, 2020).

Author Jim Cramp is a retired active duty colonel and the founder and principal attorney at the Cramp Law Firm, PLLC.  The firm provides a spectrum of family law-related services to clients in the greater San Antonio region, across the United States and throughout the world.  The firm specializes in Federal Civil Service and Military Divorce matters.