QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER (QDRO)

A Qualified Domestic Relations Order, or QDRO, is a court order that divides up an individual's pension or retirement benefits at the time of a divorce.  The purpose of dividing up an individual's pension or retirement benefits may be to provide the other spouse with alimony or child support or simply to divide the pension and/or retirement benefits as marital or community property.

This process deems a special court order to comply with federal laws governing an individual's retirement pay.