The Foreign Service Journal, December 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2013 19 sure to get some references from actual FS folks they have represented. Step 5: Clear your schedule. If you can possibly avoid bidding on it, this isn’t the time to take that 90-hour a week “dream” job. Getting divorced will be like a 40-hour-a-week job in itself. We man- aged to do this in a very busy embassy, thanks to the practical and emotional support of colleagues and a tremendous supervisor, but you can’t count on that. So minimize as many external pressures as you can. Step 6: Get your team briefed up and loop in your human resources office right away. You and your estranged spouse both have rights and responsibilities in this process, and you need to know what those are. The State Department may pay for things (like a shipment from post for the departing spouse and plane tick- ets) that you won’t think of right away, but that will take tremendous logistical hassles off your plate. Your HR office should have someone who is an expert on FS divorce; if they don’t, they’ll be able to reach back to Main State and get the answers for you. Step 7: Think long-term (as in retire- ment). It sounds crazy, we know, since you may be decades from leaving the work force, but you need to consult the Retirement Office as soon as you begin the nitty-gritty of financial negotiations with your soon-to-be-former spouse. State’s basic perspective is that your former spouse is entitled to half of your pension and a full share of your sur- vivor’s benefits unless and until he or she expressly waives that right and that waiver is accepted by the relevant team in the Retirement Office. You should also make sure to change the beneficiary des- ignations on all of your accounts (Thrift Savings Plan, life insurance, etc.), but none of those steps by itself is sufficient A time of service…a time of need Help for Seniors May Be Just a Phone Call Away— Home Health Care Adult Day Care & Respite Care Prescription Drug Copayments Transportation to Medical Appointments Durable Medical Equipment For more information, please contact the SENIOR LIVING FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE 1716 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-2902 Phone: (202) 887-8170 Fax: (202) 872-9320 E-Mail: info@SLFoundation.org Web Site: www.SLFoundation.org The Senior Living Foundation may be able to help you or someone you know. Some examples of assistance are: SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION