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QDRO to Collect Past Due Child Support
Overview of a Washington QDRO and Dividing Washington Retirement Accounts
In Washington 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. 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. These experts may include accountants, real estate or business appraisers, or pension valuators. The use of experts adds to the cost of the divorce.
In Washington 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)’, 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 Washington 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 - how much of the benefits are to be paid to each party, when such benefits can be paid, how such benefits should be paid, etc.
Washington Superior Courts:
The Washington 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.
Adams County Superior Court,
210 W. Broadway Ave., P.O. Box 126, Ritzville, WA 99169-0216
Asotin County Superior Court,
135 2nd St., P.O. Box 159, Asotin, WA 99402-0159
Benton County Superior Court,
7122 W. Okanogan Pl, Bldg A, Kennewick, WA 99336-2359
Chelan County Superior Court,
401 Washington St., P.O. Box 880, Wenatchee, WA 98807-0880
Clallam County Superior Court,
223 E 4th St., Port Angeles, WA 98362-3015
Clark County Superior Court,
1200 Franklin St., P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000
Columbia County Superior Court,
341 E. Main St., Dayton, WA 99328-1361
Cowlitz County Superior Court,
312 S.W. 1st Ave., Kelso, WA 98626-1739
Douglas County Superior Court,
203 S. Rainier, P.O. Box 488, Waterville, WA 98858-0488
Ferry County Superior Court,
350 E. Delaware Ave., Republic, WA 99166-9747
Franklin County Superior Court,
1016 N. 4th Ave., Pasco, WA 99301-3706
Garfield County Superior Court,
71 W. Main St., Pomeroy, WA 99347
Grant County Superior Court,
35 C St. N.W., Fl 2, P.O. Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823-0037
Grays Harbor County Superior Court,
102 W. Broadway Ave., Montesano, WA 98563-3621
Island County Superior Court,
101 N.E. 6th St., Fl. 1, P.O. Box 5000, Coupeville, WA 98239-5000
Jefferson County Superior Court,
1820 Jefferson St., P.O. Box 1220, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0920
King County Superior Court,
516 3rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98104-2361
Kitsap County Superior Court,
614 Division St., MS 24, Port Orchard, WA 98366-4683
Kittitas County Superior Court,
205 W 5th Ave., Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Klickitat County Superior Court,
205 S. Columbus Ave, MS CH-29, Goldendale, WA 98620-9279
Lewis County Superior Court,
345 W. Main St., (W. Main at Pacific), Chehalis, WA 98532-0336
Lincoln County Superior Court,
450 Logan St., P.O. Box 396, Davenport, WA 99122-0396
Mason County Superior Court,
419 N. 4th St, P.O. Box X, Shelton, WA 98584-0078
Okanogan County Superior Court,
149 3rd N., P.O. Box 112, Okanogan, WA 98840-0112
Pacific County Superior Court,
300 Memorial Dr., P.O. Box 67, South Bend, WA 98586-0067
Pend Oreille County Superior Court,
229 S. Garden Ave., P.O. Box 5020, Newport, WA 99156-5020
Pierce County Superior Court,
930 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, WA 98402-2108
San Juan County Superior Court,
350 Court St., #7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250-7901
Skagit County Superior Court,
205 W. Kincaid St., Mount Vernon, WA 98273-4225
Skamania County Superior Court,
240 Vancouver Ave., P.O. Box 790, Stevenson, WA 98648-0790
Snohomish County Superior Court,
3000 Rockefeller Ave., MS 502, Everett, WA 98201-4046
Spokane County Superior Court,
1116 W. Broadway Ave., Spokane, WA 99260-0350
Stevens County Superior Court,
215 S. Oak St., Rm. 209, Colville, WA 99114-2862
Thurston County Superior Court,
2000 Lakeridge Dr. S.W., Olympia, WA 98502
Wahkiakum County Superior Court,
64 Main St., P.O. Box 116, Cathlamet, WA 98612-0116
Walla Walla County Superior Court,
315 W. Main St., P.O. Box 836, Walla Walla, WA 99362-0259
Whatcom County Superior Court,
311 Grand Ave., Ste. 301, Bellingham, WA 98225-4048
Whitman County Superior Court,
400 N. Main St., P.O. Box 679, Colfax, WA 99111-0679
Yakima County Superior Court,
128 N. 2nd St., Yakima, WA 98901-2639
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