$700 Flat. Per Standard QDRO.
The same flat fee for a standard QDRO and a pension present value estimate. Records Discovery is $1,500 flat as a standalone service. No hourly billing. No money held on account. Tracing is optional and quoted separately. Other services are quoted by project.
The same $700 flat project fee covers IRA transfer orders, TSP RBCOs, governmental 457(b) DROs, and pension present value estimates. Most drafts go out in 48 to 72 hours once we have everything we need.
Standard QDRO preparation and pension present value
One price through delivery of the court-ready order. Standard QDRO preparation includes settlement-language review, plan-specific drafting, plan pre-approval where offered, and revisions for the plan's comments. A pension present value estimate is also $700, once TOVA receives the requested pension documents.
- 401(k), profit-sharing, ESOP, Keogh, private 403(b), private DB pension
- IRA transfer incident orders, TSP RBCOs, governmental 457(b) and non-ERISA 403(b) orders
- Pension present value estimate
Records Discovery
Standalone records sourcing when statements predate the current record keeper. Tracing is optional and quoted separately. Recovery is not guaranteed.
Specialty orders and analysis
Work that depends on the plan, the records, and the date ranges. We review the statements, confirm scope, and send a written quote before any work begins.
- Forensic tracing of 401(k)s and IRAs
- Cross-border retirement division
- Federal (FERS, CSRS), military, state and local pension orders
- Rejected-QDRO amendments
Every Fee, in Writing
The pricing on this page is the same pricing every attorney sees, every divorcing party sees, and every referral sees. We don't chase volume. We earn trust. For a plain-English breakdown of how much a QDRO costs and what moves the price, see the QDRO cost guide.
$700 flat fee
| Plan type | Order or deliverable | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Private DB pension | Pension Present Value Estimate | $700 |
| 401(k), profit-sharing, ESOP, Keogh | QDRO | $700 |
| Private 403(b) | QDRO | $700 |
| Private defined benefit pension | QDRO | $700 |
| IRA (Traditional, Roth, Rollover, SEP, SIMPLE) | Transfer Incident Order (IRC 408(d)(6)) | $700 |
| Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) | RBCO | $700 |
| Governmental 457(b) | DRO | $700 |
| Non-ERISA 403(b) | DRO | $700 |
Present value estimates are advisory; TOVA does not testify on present value.
Quoted by project
| Service or plan type | Order or deliverable | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Forensic tracing of defined contribution plans and IRAs | Marital and non-marital separation, gains and losses, written analysis | Quote |
| Pre-forensic retirement records discovery | Subpoena map, FOIA roadmap, record-keeper chain, working memo | $1,500 flat |
| Cross-border retirement division consulting | US plan division mechanics for foreign divorce proceedings, and preparation of the US order | Quote |
| State and local government pension | DRO (state-specific) | Quote |
| Non-governmental 457(b) | Plan-specific order | Quote |
| Non-qualified deferred compensation (NQDC) | Plan-specific order or settlement offset | Quote |
| Federal civilian retirement (FERS, CSRS) | COAP (OPM) | Quote |
| Military retired pay (member already retired) | Military Retired Pay Division Order (DFAS) | Quote |
| Rejected QDRO from another firm | Amendment | Quote |
Quote-only work depends on the specific plan, the records available, and the scope. Records Discovery is $1,500 flat as a standalone service, with no guarantee of recovery. TOVA reviews the plan statements and confirms any separate tracing scope in writing.
Quoted After Scope Review
Forensic tracing is quoted after a short scope review because the work depends on the records, the number of plans, the date range, and whether there are loans, withdrawals, rollovers, or missing statements.
Three Steps to Start
See the three steps
Scope and fee. Send the plan type and the most recent statement. We confirm the scope and the fee in writing.
Engagement and payment. Once we agree, you receive the engagement terms and a payment link in one email. Acknowledgement is by receipt of that email.
Secure upload. Send statements through the intake form or the secure link we provide, not as email attachments. After payment, we also send a secure shared folder for the rest of the case documents.
We do not bill hourly and we do not hold money on account. Standard work is at the flat fee above; specialty work is quoted in advance as a project fee.
What TOVA Does Not Do
For related detail, see the services page, the QDRO Services FAQ, and the how TOVA works overview.
TOVA QDRO and Retirement Valuators is not a law firm and does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. Nothing on this page is legal advice. All legal strategy and filing decisions remain with the attorney of record.
Ready to start?
Send the plan type and the most recent statement. Sharon confirms scope and fee in writing before any work begins.
Start a CaseOr email sedelman@tovaretirement.com · Call (516) 200-1074
By Denisa Tova-Liebman, MBA, CFP, CDFA, CQS