Series 66: Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)

Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)

Under ERISA, the benefits of a qualified retirement plan may not be paid to anyone other than the plan participant during her lifetime. This means that after a divorce, a participant’s spouse or child cannot receive her benefits as part of the divorce settlement. The only exception to this rule is if there is a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO). A qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) is a court judgment, decree, or order for a retirement plan to pay all o