What's a QDRO and do I need one?
CAdeepwater1 month ago
My spouse has a pension and a 401(k). The lawyer mentioned 'QDRO' and I nodded but I didn't know what it meant.
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✓ Verified answer from a licensed attorney — shown first
Qualified Domestic Relations Order — a separate court order that tells a retirement plan how to split a participant's account between spouses without triggering tax penalties. The divorce judgment alone doesn't move the money; the QDRO does. Two things to know: (1) Most family-law attorneys outsource QDRO drafting to a specialist because the plan administrators each have their own picky preapproved language — budget $500-$800 for the QDRO drafter on top of your divorce fee. (2) Get the QDRO done immediately after judgment. People delay and then years later the participant retires or dies and the order is harder to execute. General info, not your case.
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