Bryan S. Perez v. Sally O. Alhiwage

This case involved a dispute over GI Bill education benefits that were supposed to be transferred as part of a divorce settlement. Bryan Perez was required under his divorce agreement to transfer his military education benefits to his ex-wife, Sally Alhiwage. However, he refused to follow through with this court-ordered transfer. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled against Perez and upheld a contempt of court order from a lower court. The court found that Perez had willfully violated the property settlement agreement by not transferring the GI Bill benefits as required. When Perez tried to challenge the original divorce settlement and raised arguments about federal law conflicts, the court rejected both claims - one because it had already been decided previously, and the other because he didn't raise the federal law issue properly during the earlier court proceedings. For workers, this case demonstrates that court-ordered transfers of employment-related benefits (like military education benefits) must be honored, even after divorce. It also shows that failing to comply with such orders can result in contempt of court charges. Workers should understand that employment benefits obtained during marriage may be subject to division during divorce proceedings, and any court orders regarding these benefits are legally binding.