Who is the “Participant” under a QDRO or DRO?
The Participant is the person who has earned the pension. 5. Who is the “Alternate Payee” under a QDRO or DRO? The Alternate Payee is the person that is being awarded a part of the pension. An Alternate Payee can be a spouse, former spouse, child or other dependent of the Participant. 6. Is a QDRO or DRO always an impartial document? No. Depending upon who writes the order, certain provisions can be more beneficial to one party rather than the other. Therefore, it is important to address the important issues inherent in QDROs when negotiating property division. By knowing and agreeing on how certain issues will be addressed, the ability of the person drafting the order to make choices that benefit one party over the other is removed. The end product is a QDRO that does not contain any surprises. Return to the Top 7. Is it appropriate to use a “Model” QDRO provided by a plan administrator? It depends. “Model” QDROs are often drafted to best benefit the employee. Therefore, caution shoul
