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Spouses in Transition Support
Steps and Resources to Walk through the Transition and Divorce Process for the American Foreign Affairs Community
Divorce within the Foreign Service community always involves legal challenges that can complicate the process, especially when there are children involved. Relocation, when a trailing spouse wants to return home with the children, often with no moral or financial support from their spouse–a commissioned officer–is always a challenge. Every year, Foreign Service spouses reach out to AAFSW for help in a situation of crisis, usually during a separation or divorce. Some American and foreign-born spouses find themselves under unforeseen and appalling situations of abandonment, with their family and friends spread out within the U.S. or abroad, preventing them from receiving any financial or moral support.
With no specific data on the divorce rate within the foreign affairs community or from the Department of State, AAFSW notes more families are going through difficult separation or divorce, often under dire circumstances for some employees, spouses, and their children. Families and couples tend to deal with unique relationship stresses living overseas, needing to re-engineer their personality or life to adjust to local contexts. Moving to an unfamiliar environment and the pressures that come from leaving one’s support network – friends and family members – back home can put a strain on marriages.
Crisis Fund
The establishment of the crisis fund to support spouses, partners, and children during abandonment aligns with AAFSW's compassionate and community-oriented values. Funded through regular community outreach and cultural events in the DMV area, the fund provides essential support to those in need and strengthens the bonds within the community. Please contact us if you have any questions, need support, or know someone who needs us.
Please do not hesitate to contact transition@aafsw.org and familycrisis@aafsw.org
Articles
Online Resources
As divorce will continue to be a challenging process for some, AAFSW is committed to supporting separating and divorcing family members in the U.S. or abroad. AAFSW provides resources and advocacy through mediating and negotiating with the State Department’s Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) and other agencies, support groups, and family lawyers’ networks familiar with divorce and the foreign service lifestyle. The AAFSW Family Crisis Fund, established in 2015 (and financed by donations), helps pay for emergency expenses such as groceries, utility bills, partial rent payments, or one or two hours of legal consultation.
Under a strict rule of confidentiality, spouses and employees are encouraged to reach out to AAFSW and the Spouses in Transition Chair, when in a situation of distress, to find support navigating through these challenging transitions.
Please find below useful links, including the “Divorce and the Foreign Service” handbook.
Best of luck,
Celine C. Ford
Transition Chair and President, AAFSW
See the links below:
- AAFSW Shares: 2023 Global Community Liaison "Divorce and the Foreign Service Rights and Responsibilities Guidelines
- Divorce in the American Foreign Service and the shocking loophole affecting the most vulnerable family members.
- Tales of Survivors of the DOS Divorce and Separation Process - AAFSW
Divorce is a Process, Not an Event: Resources
- Divorce is a Process, Not an Event: Resources – Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide
A comprehensive guide to Foreign Service Officer Salaries
Global Community Liaison Office
The Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) serves U.S. government direct-hire employees and their family members, from all agencies under Chief of Mission authority serving overseas and returning to the United States. GCLO’s mission is to improve the quality of life of all demographics we serve by identifying issues and advocating for programs and solutions, providing a variety of client services, and extending services to overseas communities through the management of the worldwide Community Liaison Office (CLO) program.
GCLO Divorce Resources
https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/foreign-service-life/divorce-and-separation/
The Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) provides guidance and support in the area of divorce. Foreign Service employees and family members in the process of a divorce are eligible to access these services. While Foreign Service couples go through divorce proceedings in the same manner as those living permanently in the United States, there are factors to consider which may complicate or prolong the process due to the nature of international assignments.
GCLO’s “Divorce and the Foreign Service” Online Publication
This GCLO publication addresses topics related to separation and divorce, including Advance Travel.
WorkLife4You (WL4Y)
https://www.worklife4you.com/index.html
WL4Y is the Department of State’s 24/7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their family members. WL4Y provides free 24/7 counseling, education, and referral services that help Department of State employees and family members find the programs, providers, information, and resources they need to manage personal and professional responsibilities. For login information, contact GCLOAskSupportServices@state.gov.
Court-Ordered Benefits for Former Spouses
PDF from the Office of Personnel Management
Employee Consultation Services (Intranet)
https://usdos.sharepoint.com/sites/MED/PubM/SitePages/MHECS/ECS.aspx
Email at: MEDECS@state.gov, Or call: 202-634-4874
Employee Consultation Services provides short-term counseling and referrals for State Department employees and family members. This is a confidential, free service staffed by licensed clinical social workers. ECS has a monthly divorce support group that meets at the Department of State.
TalentCare (Intranet)
https://usdos.sharepoint.com/sites/HR/Corporate/TalentCare/SitePages/TalentCare.aspx
Family Advocacy Program (3 FAM 1810)
https://fam.state.gov/FAM/03FAM/03FAM1810.html
Curtailment of Foreign Assignments (3 FAM 2443)
https://fam.state.gov/fam/03fam/03fam2440.html
Permanent Removal (of household effects in storage) (14 FAM 627.6): https://fam.state.gov/FAM/14FAM/14FAM0620.html
Other Resources
- Employee Responsibilities During Impending Dissolution of Marriage or Domestic Partnership
- Divorce Decrees, Court Orders and Foreign Service Annuities, Retirement (AFSA)
- Service Process
- Pro-Rata Pension Share for former Foreign Service Spouses
- DOS Cable on Divorce and Retirement/Survivor Benefits
- Questions to Ask an Attorney
- Divorce Checklist for Couples
- Links for Helping Children Deal with Divorce
- Divorce Resource Document for ECS