Most attorneys believe QDROs are the hardest part of dividing retirement assets in divorce.
They’re not.
The real challenge is in the language of the settlement itself.
Why Attorneys Struggle
Most lawyers were never taught how to properly divide a 401(k) or IRA. These accounts behave more like brokerage accounts than pensions, which creates challenges such as:
- Fluctuating values
- Gains and losses
- Co-mingled marital and non-marital funds
- Plan-specific rules
Too often lawyers resort to outdated pension formulas, guess at marital value, or draft terms that plans reject (or worse, enforce incorrectly).
The Smarter Way
That’s why I created the Settlement Language Instruction Playbook (SLIP). The SLIP is a practical, plain-language guide that:
- Lays out a proven framework for enforceable settlement language
- Details plan-specific rules for IRAs, Roths, 401(k)s, TIAA, TSP, and more
- Provides a reference library of approved and rejected provisions by plan
It’s a reliable manual that attorneys can apply right away.
The SLIP is available exclusively to firms who attend my private Settlement Language Lab – a free, 60-minute virtual session where I walk you through it live.
What This Means for QDROs
When the front end is done right (valuation, tracing, plan-compliant drafting), QDROs become the easy part.
That’s why we’re scaling toward free QDROs, but only for firms who follow the full process.
When the language is right, everyone wins.
If your firm is ready to stop guessing and start drafting with confidence, join me for my Settlement Language Lab 👉🔗 https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=9t-5Cwtk7EqcJmnl-1SrwpNstTLBMy5LhYad91yuoL9UNDhEQktQQVo0VjJVMThRVVVZRVdKNUIyQy4u&origin=lprLink&route=shorturl