Determination of Your Domestic Relations Order

During the review process, the Qualified Order Center will determine if your order meets the qualification requirements.

Preapproved Order

If the order is determined to be an approved draft order, the following steps will occur:

1. The Qualified Order Center will send all interested people a written notice of the preapproval. A copy of the order will be enclosed. If you change your order once it's been preapproved, this may cause it to be denied.
2. You must send a court-certified domestic relations order to:

   Qualified Order Center
   PO Box 299088
   Lewisville, TX 75029-9088

3. You'll receive a written response with a determination 20 days after the court-certified order has been received.

   Court-Certified

   A court-certified order is signed or stamped by the judge or other court official and has a stamp or seal from the clerk of the court stating the order is certified. Contact us to learn if a photocopy or a faxed copy of a court-certified order is acceptable for qualification requirements.

Qualified Order

If the order is determined to be a QDRO, the following steps will occur:

1. The Qualified Order Center will send all interested people a written notice of the qualification. A copy of the order will be enclosed.
2. The Qualified Order Center will notify the employer's record keeper to begin the process of awarding benefits to the alternate payee, according to the terms of the QDRO.
3. The alternate payee should refer to the written qualification notice to determine the next steps to access this benefit.

Denied Order

If it's determined the draft or court order doesn't satisfy the employer's requirements for a QDRO, the following steps will occur:

1. The Qualified Order Center will send all interested parties a written notice of the denial that will include:
   • The reason(s) why the order was denied
   • A copy of the order
   • Model language if the changes are significant
2. You may send a revised domestic relations order for review to:

   Qualified Order Center
   PO Box 299088
   Lewisville, TX 75029-9088

3. The Qualified Order Center will make a determination of the revised domestic relations order 30 days after it's been received.