| Qualifed Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) | View |
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| QDRO Procedures for Lay Employees |
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| Model QDRO Form for Lay Employees (Microsoft Word RTF format |
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| Consent Form |
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If you divorce after your retirement date and are receiving your pension benefit in the form of a joint and survivor annuity (or an optional form of distribution with your former spouse named as your beneficiary), your former spouse will automatically receive a survivor benefit if you predecease him or her.
Your former spouse may also be entitled to receive a portion of your pension while you are alive. That portion is usually determined by the divorce decree.
To avoid paying taxes on the value of the portion of your pension assigned to your former spouse, and to arrange for the Church Pension Fund to pay him or her directly, you must file a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO). A QDRO is a domestic relations order, approved by the Church Pension Fund's Office of the General Counsel, assigning to your former spouse the right to receive all or a portion of the benefits payable to you under the terms of the plan.
Download and review the QDRO procedures on this page if you are in or about to enter the divorce process and plan to assign a portion of your pension to your former spouse. We recommend that you use the downloadable Model QDRO form above and have it approved by the fund's Office of the General Counsel before you file it with the court. Please note that we cannot provide information about your pension benefits to a third party unless you execute a consent form.
If you have any questions about your options or these documents, e-mail Email us or call Meleka Demirova at (212) 592-9423, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern).
- See Divorce and your pension in the Lay Employees section of this website if you have not yet retired.
- Frequently asked questions