What Is The Process For Obtaining a QDRO Or DRO"?

Q. Teresa B. of Maryland asks: "What is the Process for Obtaining a QDRO or DRO?"

A. Spencer, from the QDRO Department of Pension Evaluators & QDROS Of Troyan, Inc Associates Group replies: "You may contact us at or download forms from our website to provide us the information and retainer required to provide you a QDRO, or DRO. After we draft the appropriate order, we send it to you and/or your attorney(s) as we are instructed. The attorney(s) should then review the order for legal content, obtain the required signatures and enter it with the court. After the order is entered with the court, the attorney or attorney's client must send it to the plan administrator for qualification and implementation by the plan administrator. If you have not received a written response from the plan administrator within a reasonable time (usually 4 to 6 weeks) regarding the qualification of the order, you should contact the plan administrator for the status of the plan administrator's review of the order.

Usually, we complete a proposed order within 1 to 2 weeks of receiving all information from the parties which we need to draft an order. After we have drafted an order it will usually take the parties 1 to 2 weeks to review the order, obtain signatures, and enter it with the court. Finally, the order must be reviewed by the plan administrator which usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Based on the above time frames, the entire process usually takes 6 to 10 weeks."

Spencer Olsen

Senior QDRO Writer