QDRO
Law & Legal abbreviation · Estate and Family Law
| Stands for | Qualified domestic relations order |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
QDRO stands for Qualified domestic relations order, an estate and family law abbreviation also used in business.
Court order directing a retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or pension, to pay part of a participant's benefits to an alternate payee, usually a former spouse or child, as part of a divorce or support case. Without one, plans governed by ERISA cannot divide benefits.
Example: The divorce decree awards her half the 401(k), but she will not get it until the plan approves the QDRO.
Usage notes
Pronounced "QUAD-ro". Created by the Retirement Equity Act of 1984 as an exception to ERISA's anti-alienation rule. Distributions to a former spouse under a QDRO are exempt from the 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty. Military and many government pensions use similar orders under different rules, and IRAs are divided by a transfer incident to divorce instead.
Related abbreviations
More estate and family law abbreviations
- PINS – Person in need of supervision
- POA – Power of attorney
- POD – Payable on death
- PR – Personal representative
- PSA – Property settlement agreement
- QDOT – Qualified domestic trust
- QPRT – Qualified personal residence trust
- QTIP – Qualified terminable interest property
- RLT – Revocable living trust
- SAPCR – Suit affecting the parent-child relationship
- SLAT – Spousal lifetime access trust
- SNT – Special needs trust
See all 50 estate and family law abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.