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QDRO to Collect Past Due Child Support
Overview of a Massachusetts QDRO and Dividing Massachusetts Retirement Accounts
In Massachusetts, vested pensions are marital property. A pension vests when all the requirements to receive the pension have been met. Unvested pensions are also marital property. Until the pension has vested, the person under whom the pension is maintained has only an expectancy of interest in the pension.
Several different methods of valuation are used in determining how much a marital asset is worth, depending upon the asset to be valued and the level of agreement between the parties. Courts generally accept the value when the spouses mutually agree on a value of a particular asset. Experts may be retained by the parties or by the courts to determine the value of marital assets if the parties cannot agree. Such experts may include accountants, real estate or business appraisers, or pension valuators. The use of experts adds to the cost of the divorce.
In Massachusetts the court may include the retirement benefits and plans earned by both spouses as marital assets available for division. Retirement benefits vary greatly but can generally be divided into two groups:
- Defined Contribution Plans: A defined amount of money belonging to the employee. The employee and/or the employer make defined contributions. The balance of the plan is constantly changing, but its value is definable at any given point. 401(k)’s, 403(b)’s and profit sharing plans fall into this category.
- Defined Benefit Plans: A retirement benefit where an employer promises to pay a benefit to an employee sometime in the future, based upon some type of formula. Normally, this formula is based on the employee’s salary near the end of his or her career and the number of years he or she worked for the employer before retirement. Defined benefit plans are much more complicated to value and often require the professional evaluation of an actuary to determine exact values.
In Massachusetts, if spouses share in each other’s retirement or pension plan, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order must be completed. A QDRO is a written set of instructions that explains to a plan administrator that two parties are dividing pension benefits. The instructions set forth the terms and conditions of the distribution, including how much of the benefits are to be paid to each party, when such benefits can be paid, and how such benefits should be paid.
Massachusetts District Courts:
The Massachusetts court locations below are provided for informational purposes only. We do our very best to keep this information current and accurate, but courthouse locations do change.
Attleboro District Court,
88 N. Main St., Attleboro, MA 02703
Ayer District Court,
25 E. Main St., Ayer, MA 01432
Barnstable Probate and Family Court,
3195 Main Street, P.O. Box 346, Barnstable, MA 02630
Berkshire Probate and Family Court,
44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Boston Municipal Court Department,
Edward W. Brooke Courthouse, 24 New Chardon St., Boston, MA 02114
Brighton Division, Boston Municipal Court Department,
52 Academy Hill Rd., Brighton, MA 02135
Bristol Probate and Family Court,
21 Father DeValles Blvd., Fall River , MA 02723
Fall River Satellite,
289 Rock St., Fall River, MA 02720
New Bedford Satellite,
505 Pleasant St., New Bedford, MA 02740
Brockton District Court,
215 Main St., P.O. Box 7610, Brockton, MA 02303-7610
Brookline District Court,
360 Washington St.. ,Brookline, MA 02445
Cambridge District Court,
4040 Mystic Valley Pkwy., Medford, MA 02155
Charlestown Division, Boston Municipal Court Department,
3 City Square, Charlestown, MA 02129
Chelsea District Court,
120 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150
Chicopee District Court,
30 Church St., Chicopee, MA 01020
Chicopee District Court, Clinton Division,
300 Boylston St., Clinton, MA 01510-4209
Concord District Court,
305 Walden St., Concord, MA 01742-3616
Dedham District Court,
631 High St., Dedham, MA 02026
Dorchester Division, Boston Municipal Court Department,
510 Washington St., Dorchester, MA 02124
Dudley District Court,
West Main St., Dudley, MA 01571
Dukes County Probate and Family Court,
81 Main St., P.O. Box 237, Edgartown, MA 02539
East Boston Division, Boston Municipal Court Department,
37 Meridian St., East Boston, MA 02128
East Brookfield District Court,
544 East Main St., East Brookfield, MA 01515-1701
Eastern Hampshire District Court,
P.O. Box 1490 , Belchertown, MA 01007
Edgartown District Court,
81 Main St., P.O. Box 1284, Edgartown, MA 02539
Essex Probate and Family Court,
36 Federal St., Salem, MA 01970
Fall River District Court,
45 Rock St., Fall River, MA 02720
Falmouth District Court,
161 Jones Rd., Falmouth, MA 02540
Fitchburg District Court,
100 Elm St., Fitchburg, MA 01420
Framingham District Court,
600 Concord St., P.O. Box 1969, Framingham, MA 01701
Franklin Probate and Family Court,
425 Main St., P.O. Box 590, Greenfield, MA 01302
Gardner District Court,
108 Matthews St., Gardner, MA 01440-0040
Gloucester District Court,
197 Main St., Gloucester, MA 01930
Greenfield District Court,
425 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301
Hampden Probate and Family Court Department,
Hall of Justice, 50 State St.,Springfield, MA 01102-0559
Hampshire Probate and Family Court,
33 King St., Northampton, MA 01060
Middlesex County Probate and Family Court Department,
208 Cambridge St., P.O. Box 410480, East Cambridge, MA 02141-0006
Cambridge District Court Satellite Session,
121 Third St., Cambridge, MA 02141
Concord District Court Satellite Session,
305 Walden St., Concord, MA 01742
Marlborough District Court Satellite Session,
45 Williams St., Marlborough, MA 01752
Lowell District Court Satellite Session,
360 Gorham St., Lowell, MA 01852
Nantucket Probate and Family Court Department,
Town and County Building, 16 Broad St., P.O. Box 1116, Nantucket, MA 02554
Norfolk County Probate and Family Court,
35 Shawmut Rd., Canton, MA 0202,
Plymouth County Probate and Family Court,
52 Obery St., Plymouth, MA 02360
Suffolk County Probate and Family Court,
24 New Chardon St., P.O. Box 9667, Boston, MA 02114
Worcester County Probate and Family Court,
225 Main St., Worcester, MA 01608
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