Can I prepare my own QDRO?
Of course you can prepare your own QDRO but it may be overwhelming to figure it out! Each QDRO must be approved by its respective retirement plan. What we have seen based on 3 plus decades of experience is that there are laws to protect retirement division but very few people know how to divide them. The end result is that people who are supposed to get their share of a retirement account often do not receive those funds because a QDRO is never done or not done correctly in order for the plan to transfer the funds to the former spouse.
Some retirement accounts will give you a “QDRO form” to complete and file with your court. However, these sample QDROs can be very confusing and are usually drafted to benefit the plan, and so they are not necessarily trustworthy. If you search online, it’s hard to know who to trust. There are bad QDRO drafters that promise a low rate but note that there is no-one-size-fits-all QDRO. Getting it wrong may lead to permanent loss of survivor benefits.
At QDROCounsel, we support you doing the QDRO on your own if you want! We will provide you with detailed instructions on how to deal with the retirement plans and/or the court in getting your QDRO done. We also can help you get the plan to approve the QDRO and to file it with the court.
- Editorial Team
- February 28, 2023
- 2:46 pm
- 0 comments
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