Articles & QDRO Insights

Practical guidance on QDROs, retirement division, and divorce from attorney Willie Peacock

19 min read

Navigating the Complex Stages of a QDRO: From Initial Contact to Plan Division

When it comes to dividing retirement assets during a divorce, the Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) process can be both intricate and time-consuming. From the moment a pote

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7 min read

Under what circumstances would a QDRO be used

Ask a hundred people on the streets what a qualified domestic relations order (or QDRO) is and probably all one hundred will stare at you blankly or ask you if you are insane. Ask

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4 min read

Where Do I Get a QDRO Form

If you are considering a divorce or are in the process of one, you may have heard of the term QDRO or Qualified Domestic Relations Order. This is an important document that outline

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6 min read

What if my ex never filed a QDRO

When a couple divorces, it can be a complicated and emotionally charged process. One important part of the divorce process is the Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO). This do

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5 min read

What is a Joinder in California Divorce And Does My Retirement Plan Require One?

Getting divorced in California can be a complex process, with both state and federal laws governing the division of marital property, including retirement accounts. One potential i

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8 min read

5 Things You Didn’t Know a QDRO Could Do

A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) can be a powerful tool to help manage the division of marital assets and debts in divorce proceedings. Although QDROs are most commonly

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6 min read

Pension Appraiser? QDRO Lawyers? Consultants? What’s the Difference?

Making decisions about retirement plans can be complicated and there are a number of consultants and professionals that claim to be able to prepare retirement division orders, ofte

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9 min read

Plan Loans and QDROs: Whose Debt is It?

When times get tough, as they often do during divorce, many people turn to their retirement accounts for a bridge loan to get them past temporary financial troubles. The problem, o

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8 min read

Should QDROs be Included in the Divorce Decree Before the Judge Finalizes the Divorce?

On average, I probably receive a phone call at least once per week from a distressed divorcee who has relied upon bad advice about the QDRO process. Some will tell me that their at

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6 min read

Do You Always Need a QDRO?

When you are going through a divorce, one of the major considerations is how to divide assets. This is often an incredibly complex and difficult process, which can be made even mor

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7 min read

When is a QDRO Required?

When is a QDRO required? The answer is, almost always. In nearly every divorce, at least one of the parties has a retirement account. This retirement account is likely marital prop

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6 min read

What is The Purpose of a QDRO?

In a divorce or legal separation, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) is a legal document that says how retirement benefits will be split. Not only does it say who will get

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7 min read

What is a QDRO and How Does it Work?

A Qualified Domestic Relations Order, commonly referred to as a QDRO, is a court-order that directs a retirement plan to divide retirement accounts, typically along the terms of th

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9 min read

How Long Does It Take to Get QDRO Money?

After waiting for your divorce judgment to be finalized, nobody wants to wait for the QDRO to be done, especially when it seems like it could be as simple as withdrawing money from

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16 min read

Do You Need a QDRO For a 401(k)?

QDROs are slow. The fastest QDRO I have personally done was a little more than a month between the time they retained me and the time I handed off to the retirement plan. That one

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11 min read

Pre-Retirement and Post-Retirement Survivor Benefits in Pension QDROs

Qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity? Post-retirement survivor benefits? Shared or separate interests? What about the new spouse? We tackle common pension QDRO survivor benefi

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1 min read

Talking QDROs at the Missouri Bar Family Law 2019 Conference

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17 min read

11 Retirement Division and QDRO Mistakes People Make in Divorce

I serve in a niche that maybe shouldn’t exist. I am a QDRO attorney, a guy who drafts orders dividing retirement accounts as part of (or more commonly, after) a divorce. I exist be

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7 min read

Free: Fight NYC School Zone Speed Camera and Red Light Camera Tickets With My App

Update: 9/13/22: The old software tool that I used to build the initial machine is going offline soon – though an exact date hasn’t been announced. I’ve since set up an open source

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8 min read

10 Reasons I Love QDROs

QDROs are a lot like two legged dog with an incontinence problem: it takes a very special person to love them. They are complex. They are the most niche of legal documents, and ill

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3 min read

How a QDRO Co-Counsel is Like a Plumber

Thirteen months ago, we bought our first house. It was a bit of a surprise that we were able to, given that my wife is a medical resident making the equivalent of minimum wage and

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9 min read

5 Reasons Every Parent Needs an Estate Plan

Five years ago, I did not need a will. I had a beautiful dog, Moustakas, and a mountain of law school debt. If I died, I knew that a couple of relatives would fight over the dog bu

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3 min read

I’ve Never Faced My Own Mortality Until Now, And I Have No Plan

I have a confession to make: I do not have an estate plan. That sounds shocking coming from an estate planning attorney, but it is true. Until a couple of years ago, I had no one t

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5 min read

Stock Market & Economy Are Tanking: What Happens With My QDRO & Retirement?

We have a lot to worry about these days — an unprecedented pandemic is sweeping our world, putting the lives of ourselves and our families in jeopardy. Beyond that, the worldwide s

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16 min read

5 Factors That Determine How Long it Takes to Get a QDRO Done

By far, the most frequent question I get on Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) is about the timetable: “How long does a QDRO take?” And while most lawyers will just say, “

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