QDRO Process Overview

1

Verify Plan Info

After the Requesting Attorney retains our services (Attorney Checklist), we will verify the legal name of the plan and where the Order needs to be sent for approval.

2

Obtain Additional Information

If we need additional information or documents, we will contact the Requesting Attorney. We can also provide direction for how to obtain the necessary information from the Plan Administrator.

3

Draft the Order

We will draft the Order based on the language of the Entry and on the Requesting Attorney’s direction.

4

Send Order for Pre-Approval

If you do not want to wait for the Order to be pre-approved, you can file it at this point. Some plans, like those administered by Fidelity, will not review Orders unless they are executed by the Court.

If we receive all the information required to prepare the Order, our turnaround time for steps 1 through 4 is 5-7 business days.

5

Email the Order

After we secure pre-approval from the Plan Administrator, we email the draft to the Requesting Attorney in Microsoft Word format.

At this point, we have completed our part in the process, unless the Order requires revision (Step 8).

6

File the Order with the Court

The Requesting Attorney should file the Order with the appropriate court.

7

Submit the Order to the Plan

The Requesting Attorney should promptly submit the court-executed Order to the Plan for approval. We will provide the appropriate mailing address.

8

Revise the Order, if necessary

If the Plan Administrator rejects the Order, we will revise it at no additional cost. However, if the Requesting Attorney requests changes after the initial draft, there may be additional charges.

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