Individuals facing a court-martial may encounter significant financial implications, including legal fees, potential lost earnings, and reduced access to veterans' benefits. While military defense counsel is provided without charge for special or general courts-martial, retaining a civilian attorney incurs costs.
A court-martial sentence can lead to a reduction in pay grade for enlisted personnel above E-1, potentially impacting household budgets and existing financial commitments. This reduction to E-1, the lowest enlisted pay grade, can be triggered by punishments such as a dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge, confinement, or hard labor without confinement, when authorised by presidential regulations.
Furthermore, discharge status can affect eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. A discharge resulting from a general court-martial sentence typically bars access to these benefits, though limited exceptions exist. For other discharge categories, an eligibility review may allow access to care or benefits, with a 75% eligibility determination rate for certain former service members with other-than-honorable or bad-conduct discharges at special courts-martial over the decade preceding April 25, 2024.