News & QDRO Articles
Newsletter – Center CLE Focuses on Division and Allocation of Retirement Benefits
QDRO Counsel’s Louise Nixon is featured in the upcoming May-June 2013 edition of the Harriett Buhai Center’s “The Volunteer Voice” Newsletter for her seminar on “What Every Family Law Attorney Should Know About Retirement Benefits”. Click the View Newsletter button to download the complete PDF publication.
QDRO Attorney Louise Nixon presents “What Every Family Law Attorney Should Know about Retirement Benefits” at CLE Seminar
Center CLE Focuses on Division and Allocation of Retirement Benefits “It was an excellent seminar, full of information and helpful tips in a very difficult substantive area,” said one attendee of the CLE on retirement benefits on March 15th hosted by the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law Continuing Legal Education Program. At the CLE, local family law attorneys, Louise Nixon and Linda Morra, presented an interactive program covering “What Every Family Law Attorney Should Know about Retirement Benefits” at Loyola Law School. Together, …
Louise Nixon Panel Speaker at CLE Seminar on QDROs
What Every Family Law Attorney Should Know About Retirement Benefits The Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law Continuing Legal Education Program Friday, March 15, 2013 – Loyola Law School CLE Credits: 4 Credits Overview of Program: Audience members will be provided with the tools and resources to: Identify complex issues involving Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) Learn best practices when attorneys have a case that involves pensions to be divided Understand the different types of retirement plans and how they should be divided Agenda will …
Tips On How To Correctly Identify Retirement Plan(s) In A Divorce
One of the most common problems for family law attorneys is figuring out what retirement plans are involved in the case. Many times the participant is not aware of the plans offered by the employer in which he or she is a participant so those plans are not disclosed in the divorce. Or the participant may try to hide assets. The following are some practice tips on how to correctly identify retirement plans in divorce cases: Assume that most mid-size to large employers for both …
Louise Nixon Featured in Pasadena Magazine “Women In Law Profiles”
QDRO Attorney Louise Nixon is featured in May 2012 issue of Pasadena Magazine. From the magazine: “SPECIALTY: Division of pension benefits in divorce, through qualified domestic relations orders known as “QDROS.” EDUCATION: B.A.University of California, Davis; J.D. Whittier Law School. HONORS/AWARDS/PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Frequent speaker on pension-related issues in divorce for family law groups, Bar Associations and employee benefit groups. Board Member, Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law; Board Member, Employee Benefits Association of Los Angeles. Multiple recipient of California’s Top Attorneys for Pension Benefits (as …
Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law Honors Louise Nixon “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” Award
Louise Nixon was honored as “Pro-Bono Attorney of the Year” by the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law at its April 2012 gala Theater reception and fundraiser. The Center is one of the most innovative legal programs in the nation designed specifically for low income families in turmoil. Louise Nixon regularly provides free legal advice and QDROs to help obtain funds for the poor from estranged ex-spouses’ pension benefits for the Center. From the Awards Ceremony: “Awarded to a volunteer lawyer who has provided substantial …
Judgment Drafting: The Benefits of Judicial Counsel Form FL-348
When drafting Judgment language to divide a pension subject to division with a subsequently prepared qualified domestic relations order (“QDRO”), the family law practitioner should create language in the Judgment sufficient to place a hold on the pension until a QDRO is entered. (Please note that “QDRO” in this article refers collectively to all types of pension divisions, private and public.) For most plans, public and private, a Judgment that identifies the plan, the parties and provides some sort of pension division is a domestic …
Ensuring Survivor Benefits With Recent 9th Circuit Case
In Carmona, participant retired with a joint and survivor annuity with spouse. He subsequently divorced that spouse, remarried and then died. The plan began paying survivor benefits to the former spouse pursuant to the joint and survivor annuity selected when participant retired. The participant’s widow attempted to obtain a share of former spouse’s survivor benefits via a QDRO. The 9th Circuit held that “a state DRO may not create an enforceable interest in surviving spouse benefits to an alternate payee after a participant’s retirement, because …