QDRO: Qualified Domestic Relations Order

Q.D.R.O stands for Qualified Domestic Relations Order. It is a judgment or order that is made under California family law codes and 1. relates to the provision of support or property rights to an "alternate payee" 2. creates, acknowledges, or assigns to an alternate payee a right to receive benefits under the plan and 3. meets certain statutory requirements.

Not every pension and 401K plan requires a Q.D.R.O. You may contact you or your spouse's human resource department or retirement plan administrator to determine if you need one. If so, the draft Q.D.R.O. must first be approved by the actual plan before it can be submitted to the Court for approval. This process may proceed quickly or may be delayed for several months depending on the company. After the company approves the Q.D.R.O., you and your spouse will need to sign it and we will submit it to the Court for the Judge's signature. The order is then sent to the retirement plan administrator for implementation.

We can prepare your Q.D.R.O. including gathering the information, acquiring approval from the Company, and filing with the Court and submitting to the company for implementation. The initial document will be prepared and we will follow the process to completion in the quickest amount of time possible. Along the way, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.