What To Expect With a QDRO

Are you going through a divorce and have questions about what to expect with a QDRO? Contact our Buffalo attorneys to get started immediately.

1) Qualified Domestic Relations Order

• A qualified domestic relations order may be required as a couple divides their retirement assets.
• After a divorce is complete, your agreement or decision will probably require a domestic relations order to claim your part of your spouse’s retirement.
• Your attorney can help you with this process, and should complete and file it as soon as possible.

2) QDRO Preparation

You should obtain your qualified domestic relations order as soon as possible after your divorce is finalized. Talk to your attorney about having that order prepared. It’s quite possible that your attorney may not prepare qualified domestic relations orders. It may be outside of their practice area, and they may advise you to obtain counsel to do that. We can do that at Cole, Sorrentino. Myself and attorney Michael Barrett handle dozens and dozens of these orders on a yearly basis and have many years experience handling them.

3) Dividing Retirement Benefits

If you’re getting divorced you might be concerned about your retirement benefits. You may have a long-term marriage, you might have worked many years, you might be in a union or a New York state employee and be concerned about losing those benefits. Those benefits are something that can be divided in a divorce. Regardless of who the employee is, those benefits will be divided between the spouses. For example, if you have a 401(k) plan that is something that will be valued by the court or by your attorney, and there will be either an agreement or a decision from a judge that divides that asset in some form.