Court Approval Required · Notarization Required

QDROs must be signed by a judge and entered as a court order. After court entry, the signed order must be submitted to and accepted by the retirement plan administrator before any benefits can be paid to the alternate payee.

QDROs must be approved by the court and the plan administrator. The process typically involves: (1) drafting the QDRO, (2) submitting a draft to the plan administrator for pre-approval, (3) making any required revisions, (4) submitting to the court for entry as a court order, and (5) sending the court-certified copy to the plan administrator for implementation.