Rokablly

David, thank you so much for taking the time to provide all that information. I sincerely appreciate it! As for my job with the County of Orange California, for almost 20 years I was an Animal Control Officer (not a sworn peace officer position), rising up to a Supervising Animal Control Officer. However, a little over 2 years ago I Y-rated (stepped down) to a Staff Specialist. The divorce papers say the following: RETIREMENT A stipulated Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) shall be prepared dividing the community property interest in petitioner's Orange County Employee Retirement System benefits plan equally between the parties with the date of marriage being March 14, 1998 and the date of separation being January 3, 2012. Both parties shall equally bear the cost associated with processing and obtaining said stipulated QDRO. That is all it says and it is not mentioned anywhere else. The OCERS says I am under Plan J General Members (Plan J: (General Tier 2) 2.7% at 55) but I could not find any other information on their website so I will need to call them to get the rules and regulations for the plan. My girlfriend, soon to be fiancé, are planning on obtaining an attorney. Do you recommend doing that asap, after we get married and/or closer to when I plan to retire? UPDATE: I called OCERS to obtain the rules and regulations and was informed that 50% of my pension will be held until they have the QDRO. There is no statute of limitations or remarry clause. My ex will get what she gets unless the order from the court itself is amended and I was told by an attorney that is next to impossible so a waste of time and money.

I am an Orange County California employee and I plan to retire in 3 years with 25 years of service. I have a defined pension plan where I can retire after a certain number of years of service, at a certain age, with a certain income history and I'm eligible for a lifetime annuity (2.7% of my top 3 earning years times each year of service). I started this job 3 years into marriage (2001) and we divorced 10 years later (2011). My top 3 earning years were long after the divorce. I remember being told by my attorney that we needed to hire a QDRO attorney but that was never done. I also remember calling the County retirement and being told the divorce had been reported to them and that I would not be able to collect my pension until the QDRO was complete. I have read online that my ex may not be entitled to any portion of my pension if I remarry, or if I remarry before I retire, or if I retire before the QDRO is complete. I'll be engaged next month and I do plan on remarrying before I retire. Can anyone please confirm any of this for me, is it true, and that simple? If not true or that simple, can someone please explain what I can expect or should do in this situation (never did a QDRO, it's been 14 years since the divorce, and I plan to remarry)? She will not need any portion of my pension as she has done very well for herself these past 14 years, 17 years when I retire, and I will need it all. She has not remarried, if that matters. Thank you