5 C.F.R. Subpart H—Requirements for Court Orders Awarding Former Spouse Survivor Annuities
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
This subpart regulates the requirements that a court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity must meet to be a court order acceptable for processing. (a) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity under CSRS is not a court order acceptable for processing unless the marriage terminated on or after May 7, 1985. (b) In the case of a retiree who retired under CSRS before May 7, 1985, a court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity under CSRS is not a court order acceptable for processing unless the retiree was receiving a reduced annuity to provide a survivor annuity to benefit that spouse on May 7, 1985. (a) Qualifying Domestic Relations Orders. (1) Any court order labeled as a “qualified domestic relations order” or issued on a form for ERISA qualified domestic relations orders is not a court order acceptable for processing unless the court order expressly states that the provisions of the court order concerning CSRS or FERS benefits are governed by this part. (2) When a court order is required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section to state that the provisions of a court order concerning CSRS or FERS benefits are governed by this part the court order must— (i) Expressly refer to part 838 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, and (ii) Expressly state that the provisions of the court order concerning CSRS or FERS benefits are drafted in accordance with the terminology used in this part. (3) Although any language satisfying the requirement of paragraph (a) (2) of this section is sufficient to prevent a court order from being unacceptable under paragraph (a)(1) of this section, OPM recommends the use of the language provided in ¶001 in appendix A to subpart F of this part to state that the provisions of the court order concerning CSRS or FERS benefits are governed by this part. (4) A court order directed at employee annuity that contains the language described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section must also satisfy all other requirements of this subpart to be a court order acceptable for processing. (b) Employee annuity cannot continue after the death of the retiree. Any court order that provides that the former spouse's portion of the employee annuity shall continue after the death of the employee or retiree, by using language such as “will continue to receive benefits after the death of” the employee, that the former spouse “will continue to receive benefits for his (or her) lifetime,” or “that benefits will continue after the death of” the employee, but does not use terms such as “survivor annuity,” “death benefits,” “former spouse annuity,” or similar terms is not a court order acceptable for processing. (a) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing unless it expressly awards a former spouse survivor annuity or expressly directs an employee or retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity as described in paragraph (b) of this section. (b) To expressly award a former spouse survivor annuity or expressly direct an employee or retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity as required by paragraph (a) of this section the court order must— (1) Identify the retirement system using terms that are sufficient to identify the retirement system as explained in §838.911; and (2) (i) Expressly state that the former spouse is entitled to a former spouse survivor annuity using terms that are sufficient to identify the survivor annuity as explained in §838.912; or (ii) Expressly direct the retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity using terms that are sufficient to identify the survivor annuity as explained in §838.912. (a) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing unless the court order provides sufficient instructions and information so that OPM can determine the amount of the former spouse's monthly benefit using only the express language of the court order, subparts A, G and I of this part, and information from normal OPM files. (b) To provide sufficient instructions and information for OPM to compute the amount of a former spouse survivor annuity as required by paragraph (a) of this section, if the court order uses a formula to determine the former spouse survivor annuity, it must not use any variables whose values are not readily ascertainable from the face of the court order or normal OPM files. (c) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing if OPM would have to examine a State statute or court decision (on a different case) to understand, establish, or evaluate the formula for computing the former spouse survivor annuity. (a) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing if it is issued after the date of retirement or death of the employee and modifies or replaces the first order dividing the marital property of the employee or retiree and the former spouse. (b) For purposes of awarding, increasing, reducing, or eliminating a former spouse survivor annuity, or explaining, interpreting, or clarifying a court order that awards, increases, reduces or eliminates a former spouse survivor annuity, the court order must be— (1) Issued on a day prior to the date of retirement or date of death of the employee; or (2) The first order dividing the marital property of the retiree and the former spouse. (c) A court order that awards a former spouse survivor annuity and that is issued after the first order dividing the marital property of the retiree and the former spouse has been vacated, set aside, or otherwise declared invalid is not a court order acceptable for processing if— (1) It is issued after the date of retirement or death of the retiree; (2) It changes any provision concerning a former spouse survivor annuity in the court order that was vacated, set aside or otherwise declared invalid; and (3)(i) The court order is effective prior to the date when it is issued; or (ii) The retiree and former spouse do not compensate the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund for any uncollected annuity reduction due as a result of the court order vacating, setting aside, or otherwise invalidating the first order terminating the marital relationship between the retiree and the former spouse. (d) In this section, “date of retirement” means the later of— (1) The date that the employee files an application for retirement; or (2) The effective commencing date for the employee's annuity. (e) In this section, “issued” means actually filed with the clerk of the court, and does not mean the effective date of a retroactive court order that is effective prior to the date when actually filed with the clerk of the court (e.g., a court order issued nunc pro tunc). (f)(1) In this section, the “first order dividing the marital property of the retiree and the former spouse” means— (i) The original written order that first ends (or first documents an oral order ending) the marriage if the court divides any marital property (or approves a property settlement agreement that divides any marital property) in that order, or in any order issued before that order); or (ii) The original written order issued after the marriage has been terminated in which the court first divides any marital property (or first approves a property settlement agreement that divides any marital property) if no marital property has been divided prior to the issuance of that order. (2) The first order dividing marital property does not include— (i) Any court order that amends, explains, clarifies, or interprets the original written order regardless of the effective date of the court order making the amendment, explanation, clarification, or interpretation; or (ii) Any court order issued under reserved jurisdiction or any other court order issued subsequent to the original written order that divide any marital property regardless of the effective date of the court order. [57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, as amended at 58 FR 3202, Jan. 8, 1993] (a) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing unless it permits OPM to collect the annuity reduction required by section 8339(j)(4) or section 8419 of title 5, United States Code, from annuity paid by OPM. OPM will not honor a court order that provides for the retiree or former spouse to pay OPM the amount of the annuity reduction by any other means. (b) The amount of the annuity reduction required by section 8339(j)(4) or section 8419 of title 5, United States Code, may be paid— (1) By reduction of the former spouse's entitlement under a court order acceptable for processing that is directed at employee annuity; or (2) By reduction of the employee annuity. (c) Unless the court order otherwise directs, OPM will collect the annuity reduction required by section 8339(j)(4) or section 8419 of title, 5, United States Code, from the employee annuity.
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 838—COURT ORDERS AFFECTING RETIREMENT BENEFITS
Subpart H—Requirements for Court Orders Awarding Former Spouse Survivor Annuities
§ 838.801 Purpose and scope.
§ 838.802 CSRS limitations.
§ 838.803 Language not acceptable for processing.
§ 838.804 Court orders must expressly award a former spouse survivor annuity or expressly direct an employee or retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity.
§ 838.805 OPM computation of formulas in computing the designated base.
§ 838.806 Amended court orders.
§ 838.807 Cost must be paid by annuity reduction.
