What happens to the pensions and retirement accounts?
This is a question with a variety of often complex answers. In general, the court will treat retirement accounts in the same way it treats other community property, balancing assets and debts against each other and in terms of the parties. Often each party keeps a retirement account, and the court compensates the other party with a larger share of the community property. However, the court can divide the retirement accounts or pension between the parties. These divisions are often based on the amount of time the parties were married while the pensions and retirements were accruing. As an example; If Husband had his pension for 5 years before getting married, and he was married to Wife for 15 years, he would generally keep the full value of the first 5 years of pension, and then 50% of the pension for the next 15 years. Keep in mind, however, that determining the division of pensions and retirements can involve not only Washington state law, but federal law relating to pensions, retirem
