Rights and Responsibilities
If you are in the process of divorce and you are a Foreign Service employee or dependent on orders serving under Chief of Mission or in the United States, GCLO is here to provide guidance to you and your family.
Employees and spouses have a right to:
- Privacy and confidentiality through GCLO
- Make informed decisions
- Use GCLO’s services
- Use the Career Development Resource Center
- Considerate and respectful customer service
- Access information under the Freedom of Information Act
- Access Employee Consultation Services for counseling services
- Use agency-specific resource and referral services to help locate a lawyer
Spouses have a right to:
- Potential pension, survivor, and health benefits
- Advance travel (if posted overseas)
- Seek garnishment of wages if spouse is in arrears
- Apply for jobs using your Executive Order Eligibility
Employees are reminded that they have a responsibility to facilitate the return of their spouse (and children, if any) to the United States or other location, the family may choose.
Employees are encouraged to reach a settlement with respect to disposition of HHE effects before the spouse departs.
Employees are also encouraged to reach a settlement with the spouse to ensure adequate financial resources for the spouse and family to establish themselves in the United States or other location.
For more information on your rights and responsibilities, contact the Management Officer assigned to post. They are there to assist you. Some benefits terminate once a divorce is final. See GCLO’s website for more details or call 202-647-1076, 800-440-0397 or email at GCLOAskSupportServices@state.gov.
Listings of private entities in this guide are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. government of the entity, its views or the products or services it provides. The order in which names appear has no significance, and the links may be removed at any time at the discretion of the Department.