Our Services

QDRO Preparation & Consulting Services

We prepare QDRO or QDRO-like instruments for all types of plans, both domestic and international. We consult on all QDRO-related matters.

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Provide Payment and Retention Documents

We review the settlement language and respond with a fee quote, payment link, and a document request.

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We prepare QDRO(s) and Obtain Pre-approval (if Plan offers it)

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You Are Ready To File

Once notice of pre-approval is received, we will provide you with a clean copy of the pre-approved QDRO for you to file in Court and subsequently forward to the Plan for their final approval. Please note that, as we are not attorneys, we do not handle the filing. After this step, our services will be considered completed.

Important Notes

1) To speed up the process, for each plan that needs a “QDRO”, please provide the following:

2) We do not file the QDRO with the court or send certified copies of the QDRO(s) to the plan(s) as that is the function of either counsel for the parties or the parties individually, as the case may be.

Drafting of Settlement Language

We help you draft clear and correct retirement settlement language that will be effectuated by retirement plans.

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Provide Payment and Retention Documents

Our office will provide you with a payment link.

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Provide a Statement For Each Plan

Providing the above will ensure expeditious completion

If you would like us to obtain the plan participant’s benefit information, we will do so with the participant’s/employee’s signed and notarized authorization release, which we will provide upon request. However, please know that this will add significantly more time to our process.

Marital/Non-marital Tracing Analysis of Defined Contribution Plans

We trace and separate your client’s pre-marital balance together with investment earnings and any post-date cutoff contributions.

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Provide Payment and Retention Documents

We review the settlement language and respond with a fee quote, payment link, and a document request.

3

Provide Statements

Provide us with the requested statements (only electronic copies are accepted).

Providing a complete set of statements will be key for us to render an accurate analysis, which will determine the marital and non-marital share and proportionate investment earnings on each share.

Present Value of Pension Plans

We provide present-value calculations of pension plans often used by attorneys to offset against other assets.

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Provide Payment and Retention Documents

Our office provides you with a document request and payment link.

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Provide Statements

Provide the Statement of the Participant’s Accrued Benefit as of the Date of Valuation/Cutoff.

Please Note

The Plan Participant will be able to obtain their statement directly from his/her pension benefit department. This statement will need to show his/her “accrued benefit amount as of the date of cut off/valuation.” If this document is not provided, we will have to obtain this information via an authorized release from the Participant, which will add several weeks to this process. (Plans are becoming less willing to provide information to a third party.) Therefore, if your client can obtain this information directly, it will speed up the process significantly!

Cross-Border Divorce Services

We provide consulting, QDRO and retirement valuation services in cross-border divorces.

Valuation and Analysis of US Retirement Assets in Cross-Border Divorces

Settlement Consulting Regarding Cross-Border Divorces

Preparation of Expert Reports and Expert Testimony in Cross-Border Divorces

Preparation of the Proper Settlement Language to Divide US Retirement Assets in Cross-Border Divorces

Preparation of Orders to Share / Transfer US Retirement Assets

Thanks Denisa. It really brought home the importance of doing your legal and financial research in the country the pension is held. People often come to see us only after a pension sharing order is made in another country which can often be too late. In one case we were unable to ask the court to make the order as both parties had since remarried and there was no longer any jurisdiction!
Solicitor from UK
Very many thanks for the great presentation,
It is always a welcome surprise to learn that we live on different continents, but not in different worlds. The issue remains outstandingly complicated in an international context, but it is time to start developing strategies to overcome it. Therefore, I would like to encourage you to continue to promote your services to international audiences. With warm regards from Berlin,
Lawyer from Germany
I thought it was absolutely excellent; clear and informative.
Lawyer from Canada

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