Navy Federal Credit Union They stole nearly $15,000.00 from my son's account Vienna, Virginia

 Big NO

   This would (and does) happen at any bank or credit union under the same circumstances.     The credit union had a contract with both your wife and her ex to repay a debt.   If a judge ordered the ex to pay the debt, that doesn't change the original contract that your wife had with the credit union.    She is still contractually obligated to repay the debt if her ex doesn't follow the court order.  While she has standing to go after the ex for not following the court order, there's not much that can be done about the credit union.

  The credit union has a right to collect from any account she is a party to, under their right of offset agreement (which she agreed to when she opened the account). 

   This disparity between what is ordered by a divorce settlement and contracts that were made before the divorce often show up in this manner.    The most common occurance is when one party is awarded the house and also ordered to assume the mortgage.   If that party does not follow the order and refinance the house in their name (often because they don't qualify), ultimately the financial institution can go after the party who did not get the house because they are still obligated by the original mortgage contract.  

 Bottom line, a divorce settlement does not change contracts that were entered into before the divorce.  Because the court said your wife's ex must assume responsibility for the debt does not mean that her contractual obligation to the credit union went away.  The judge cannot modify existing contracts, he can only order the parties to assume responsibility for various obligations. 

  I agree that the way this turned out stinks, but it is a common occurance and appears to have been done by the book.