Program Details
2026-10-30 14:30:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-10-30 14:30:00
2h CLE Credits
Intermediate
2
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm ESTThis session teaches family law attorneys how to draft military retired pay division orders that will pass DFAS technical review and result in direct payments to former spouses. Attorneys will learn the specific data elements, jurisdictional findings, award formulas, and statutory requirements — including the Frozen Benefit Rule under 10 U.S.C. § 1408(a)(4)(B) — that determine whether DFAS accepts or rejects an order. Attendees leave with a working knowledge of DFAS submission mechanics, common rejection patterns, and the drafting traps that create malpractice exposure.
Steven P. Shewmaker
Patricia Shewmaker 3:40 pm - 4:40 pm ESTThis session examines how VA disability waivers shrink the former spouse’s share of military retired pay under Mansell v. Mansell and Howell v. Howell, the emerging divisibility of Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) following DFAS’s February 2026 regulatory reversal, and the strict one-year deadlines and deemed election mechanics governing Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage. Attorneys will learn to identify when a retiree’s disability election has eroded a court-ordered pension share, what compensatory remedies remain available post-Howell, and how to secure and preserve SBP coverage for a former spouse. By the end of the session, attorneys will be able to draft protective SBP language, calendar critical filing deadlines, and counsel clients on CRDP divisibility in light of ongoing DFAS implementation uncertainty.
Steven P. ShewmakerPatricia ShewmakerSteven P. Shewmaker handles military domestic matters and the division of retirement accounts incident to divorce, including military pensions, FERS, and Thrift Savings Plan accounts, as a founding partner of Shewmaker & Lewis in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. He brings more than twenty years of military service to that work and continues to serve as an Army Reserve Judge Advocate.
Patricia (Patty) Shewmaker represents many military service members in family law matters and specializes in dividing qualified retirement plans incident to divorce and legal separation, including military pensions, pensions under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Thrift Savings Plans (TSPs), private pensions, and 401(k)s. A West Point graduate and Bronze Star Medal recipient, she practices with Shewmaker & Lewis in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.
Steven P. Shewmaker handles military domestic matters and the division of retirement accounts incident to divorce, including military pensions, FERS, and Thrift Savings Plan accounts, as a founding partner of Shewmaker & Lewis in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. He brings more than twenty years of military service to that work and continues to serve as an Army Reserve Judge Advocate.
Patricia (Patty) Shewmaker represents many military service members in family law matters and specializes in dividing qualified retirement plans incident to divorce and legal separation, including military pensions, pensions under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Thrift Savings Plans (TSPs), private pensions, and 401(k)s. A West Point graduate and Bronze Star Medal recipient, she practices with Shewmaker & Lewis in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
