QDRO Timeline

1.  Once I have all required information and fee, our usual turn around time to prepare the QDRO is 2-3 business days.  The QDRO will be emailed to the attorney or party that hired us.

2.  The attorney or party must get the divorce court Judge to sign the QDRO.  That could take several days for an agreed QDRO, or up to many months for a contested case (the opposing party or attorney won't approve).  The county, particular court and other factors can also affect the time it takes to obtain the Judge's signature.  The parties should contact his or her divorce attorney for more specific information.

3.  Once the Judge's signature is obtained, the divorce attorney or the party must purchase a certified copy of the QDRO and return to us, with any additional documents or forms as we have specified.  We will forward the QDRO (and any additional documents or forms) to the Plan Administrator for processing.

4.  Average processing time is about 60-90 days.  Fidelity plans will be 30-45 days and many smaller companies take longer than 90 days.  Currently, FERS is taking about 12-14 months to process.

5.  Once the review process is completed, the Plan Administrator will usually notify the parties and all attorneys of the result of the review by letter, although some are now using email.  The Plan Administrator will provide the parties with contact information and the options for distribution or rollover of the awarded funds (defined contribution plans only).  There may be additional forms to be completed by the parties and that should be handled directly with the Plan Administrator.  We do not handle the actual transfer of any money.