18.WILL A DIVORCE AFFECT MY PENSION?

Your spouse may obtain a court order called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO).  Under the terms of a QDRO, certain amounts may be taken from your pension benefit to pay alimony, child support, or marital property rights of your spouse, former spouse, child, or other dependent.

The Trustees have approved a form QDRO.  If the pre-approved form is  utilized, the Administrative Office has been authorized to treat the QDRO as qualified and transmit the appropriate notices to the participant and alternate payee.  Your attorney can obtain a copy of the form QDRO and/or QDRO procedures from the Trust Fund’s attorney.  If the form QDRO is not utilized and the attorneys involved in the divorce instead utilize some other form of a proposed QDRO, then the form prepared by those attorneys is transmitted to the Trust Fund’s attorney.  The Trust Fund attorney will review the QDRO received and provides advice to the Trustees as to whether or not they should treat the QDRO as being qualified under the provisions of federal law taking into account the provisions of the plan.  The Trustees will then make a final decision and notify you of their decision.

Please note that separate QDROs are required for the Pension Plan (Defined Benefit Plan) and the Southern California IBEW-NECA Defined Contribution Plan.