QDROs

Client Intake – To begin the QDRO process, Artinger Law, LLC requires a completed client intake sheet. This document contains all the personal information Artinger Law, LLC will need to determine benefits and draft the QDRO. This information includes personal information about you, your former spouse, and information about your marriage. 
Contact Plan Administrator – Artinger Law, LLC begins the QDRO drafting process by making contact with the administrator of the retirement plan in order to request documents needed to determine what benefits and options are able to be transferred.
Review Summary Plan Description – Artinger Law, LLC goes the extra mile and reviews the Summary Plan Description for your plan. This documents contais all the nuts and bolts for the plan and often have significant restrictions on alienation.
Draft QDRO –After reviewing the plan documents, Artinger Law, LLC drafts a proposed QDRO blending the requirements of the individual plan administrator and statutory requirements imposed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.
Obtain Pre-approval – After Artinger Law, LLC drafts a proposed QDRO, the document is sent to the plan administrator for review. While not required, most administrators will review a proposed QDRO and signal to the attorney who drafted the proposed QDRO that will accept the document after it is signed by the necessary parties.
Prepare Confidential Information Form – Administrators require confidential information in order to approve the QDRO. However, QDROs are court documents and are entered into the public record. Artinger Law, LLC prepares a separate confidential information form that is sent along with the signed QDRO to the administrator in order to ensure that your social security number and other confidential information does not go into the public record.
Signings – A QDRO must be signed by both parties, often in the presence of a notary public.
Obtain Judge’s Approval – After the parties sign the QDRO, but before a plan administrator will approve a QDRO, a judge must sign off on the document. 
Submit QDRO for Final Approval – After the judge and both parties have signed the QDRO, Artinger Law, LLC submits the QDRO and confidential information form for final approval.