Principal QDRO
What Principal publishes about QDROs for the plans it serves, where each plan's own QDRO rules come from, and what to check before drafting. Sources are linked below.
For a plan at Principal, the QDRO follows that plan's own written procedures, and the plan administrator is the place to get them. The Principal sources reviewed for this page do not give one set of QDRO procedures, one address or one fee for every plan.
Principal keeps the records for many company 401(k) and pension plans. The Principal sources we reviewed say little about the QDRO process, and the guide we found points plan sponsors to a secure website for the details. So this page sticks to what Principal's own published material says, checked on October 12, 2026, and points to where the rest lives.
What Principal's own material says
Principal's pre-migration guide for defined benefit plans moving from Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust (written for plan sponsors in 2021) says two things about QDROs:
- Where the instructions are: "Detailed instructions for processing Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) requests, including sample communication, are available on the plan sponsor secure website."
- Processing time: "QDRO service processing time once all items are received and in good order is generally 3 to 5 weeks."
That guide covers those migrating defined benefit plans. The guide does not set the rules for every plan at Principal, and the 3 to 5 weeks is not a promise for a 401(k).
Where the plan's QDRO procedures come from
Plans covered by the federal QDRO rules must have written QDRO procedures (DOL QDRO booklet, Q 2-3). For a plan at Principal, ask the plan administrator, named in the Summary Plan Description, for the QDRO procedures and any model order. The procedures should say where to send a draft or a signed order, whether the plan reviews drafts before the judge signs, and whether there is a review fee.
What to check before drafting
- The plan's exact legal name, from the Summary Plan Description. An employer can sponsor more than one plan at Principal.
- Whether it is a 401(k) or other account plan, or a defined benefit pension. They need different orders.
- Who reviews orders for the plan. The plan's procedures say.
- The plan's current procedures and model order, if it has one.
- That each choice in the order matches the settlement: the amount or percentage, the date, gains and losses, loans, and on a pension, survivor benefits. See sample QDRO language.
How TOVA handles a plan at Principal
We get the plan's QDRO procedures, check them against the settlement agreement, and draft the order for that plan. If the plan offers pre-approval, we submit the draft and handle any changes the plan asks for. Counsel or the parties then take the order to the court and send the signed copy to the plan. A standard QDRO, such as a 401(k) or private pension order, is a $700 flat project fee. See the pricing page. If you are drafting it yourself, the do it yourself QDRO guide walks through the steps.
Sources
- Principal, Pre-Migration Guide, Defined Benefit (PDF, plan sponsor guide for the 2021 Wells Fargo IRT migration). Checked October 12, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor, QDROs: The Division of Retirement Benefits Through Qualified Domestic Relations Orders.
Principal is named here only to describe what it publishes. TOVA is not affiliated with Principal.
Dividing a plan at Principal?
Send the plan name from the statement and the retirement section of the agreement. We confirm the scope and the fee in writing before any work begins.
Start a CaseBy Denisa Tova-Liebman, MBA, CFP, CDFA, CQS