When getting a divorce, you will need to address a wide variety of complex financial issues. Since California is a community property state, the property division process will need to address all of the assets and debts you acquired during your marriage and ensure that you and your spouse each receive an equal share of the marital estate. Retirement savings accounts and pension plans can often complicate asset division. These assets will need to be properly valued, and the right procedures will need to be followed when dividing them between you and your spouse.
Using a QDRO to Divide Retirement Accounts and Pensions
Retirement savings often represent some of the most valuable assets owned by a married couple. These may include employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401Ks or individual retirement accounts (IRAs). In some cases, the full balance in an account may be considered marital property. However, if one spouse contributed to an account before getting married, some of the funds in the account may be considered separate property. The assistance of a financial expert may be needed to determine the value of an account at different points in time and establish the marital portion of these funds.
Determining the value of a pension plan can often be even more difficult, since the amount that a person will be able to receive in pension benefits may not be known until they reach retirement age. The actual value of these benefits will depend on the amount of income a person receives, the amount of time they worked in a pension-eligible position, and the number of years they expect to receive benefits after retiring. A person’s ex-spouse will be entitled to receive a percentage of their pension payments, depending on the amount of time they were married while working in the job where they earned these benefits.
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