If i join the marines, will i lose custody of my son?

Question

i am 25 years old and have a 3 year old son. i am also married now. i have 50/50 custody of my son. if i join the marines (reserves or active duty) will i lose custody of him? will my wife be able to keep him, continuing the same schedule he is on now while im at basic training? if i were to lose custody, would i get it back when i return? joining the marines is something i have wanted to do for a long time. my wife supports me 100% and is just as excited about it as i am, but if it means losing custody of my son for good then i WILL NOT join.

Answer 1

when/if you are deployed your wife will keep him providing that she can support him, you'll gain custody back when you return from your tour. you won't lose custody for being in the reserves unless you are pulled up

Answer 2

no man active duty reserves don't matter you won't lose custody for serving your d**n country...the only way is if it became a case of abandonment thats the only way you could lose it meaning you while not on deployment etc...choose to neglect him...but sounds like you love him to death...good luck...

Answer 3

Your wife (or anyone you elect) can take control over your visitation/custody rights while you are away.  Nothing about that will change when you return.   You should definitely get ahold of friend of the court and let them know that your wife will still be following your custody schedule to avoid any complications.

Answer 4

This sounds like a good question for your recruiter...Good luck!

Answer 5

Can you imagine the judge when your ex petitions for full custody on the grounds that you're serving your country? You will, however, have to have a written plan in place allowing your bride to act in loco parentis should you be suddenly deployed while he's in your physical custody. It's one of the many things you'll have to deal with once you're in uniform. And of course there will be the practical side: what are your plans with him while you're in the middle of the Indian Ocean?  It might be worth your time to work on the eventualities with your ex now, even if it means going to court to formalize the details.

Answer 6

Not really.

While you are in training you can't have your son.  When you complete training your son will be able to visit like before.  Several of my Army buddies went through this.  One had a baby born during training.  Just think about the cool dad you will be when your son sees you in your blue and red class A uniform.

Answer 7

First off if you're married and you are talking about custody are you planning on a divorce or is your son with another woman?  I don't understand the question as it really doesn't make sense.  You said you're married and have joint custody (sounds like you're divorced).  You then say she is 100% behind you and happy for you.  You'll have to explain that a bit better.  You can't lose custody for joining the military.  When I was in I knew many divorced people who had sole custody of their children.  That also does not mean you are exempt from being deployed.  If you believe you're happily married and afraid of losing custody then you're lying about something here.

Obviously you can't take you kids to boot camp with you so they'll be somewhere.  After you make it past basic you then move on to your job specific training depending on your skill set.  Once again most branches you can't take your family.  Once you get to your permanent base you can apply for base housing or receive a Housing Allowance to live in town.  Why do you think you'll lose your son?

Answer 8

If you are already married then it should be fine.  But if your ex feels that you should not longer have 50/50 custody you can loose your rights, especially if you move out of your state.  It would be the same with any job that requires you to move.  You should discuss this with a lawyer and the child's mother to find out what your rights will be if you do move away.