Читать книгу Rightfully Yours - Gary A. Shulman - Страница 44

Once you finish typing the QDRO, be sure to leave a signature line at the end of the order for the judge’s signature. You now need to get it signed by the judge. You may have to contact an attorney for the sole purpose of running your QDRO through the court system (obtaining the judge’s signature for you). However, some judges will sign the QDRO for you directly without requiring you to obtain an attorney. Contact the judge who handled your divorce by calling the courthouse, and ask to speak to the judge’s clerk or secretary. If that judge is no longer sitting on the bench, you may contact any other domestic relations judge within that jurisdiction, or ask the courthouse receptionist to tell you who replaced your judge. You should then explain to the judge’s clerk that you were previously divorced in that jurisdiction but that a QDRO was never prepared in your case. Next, ask the clerk if the judge will sign the QDRO if you send it to him or her. Be sure also to include a copy of your original divorce decree and separation agreement that shows that you were awarded a portion of your ex-husband’s pension or savings plan benefits. When the judge sees that you really were awarded “x” amount of your ex-husband’s pension benefits, he or she may sign the QDRO for you without the intervention of an attorney.