When spouses divorce or seek a legal separation, their marital property must be divided including their respective interests in pensions and other retirement benefits.  To divide those pension and retirement benefits specialized court orders, known as qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) or various forms of domestic relations orders and retirement pay orders (DROs), are specifically required by the Retirement Plan Administrator and the IRS.

Since 1986 Attorney Tom Peairs has practiced family law in Vermont.  Since 2000 he has drafted QDROs and DROs for attorneys and pro-se litigants throughout Vermont.  In each case he provides the necessary QDROs and DROs to meet the needs of the parties’ divorce and legal separation settlement agreements or to satisfy the Vermont Family Courts’ final decrees.  He handles all initial contacts with the Plan or Third Party Administrators.  When the QDROs and DROs are complete, he provides the parties and their attorneys with precise directions for family court filing and for the submission of a certified copy of the QDROs and DROs to the Plan Administrator for processing.

He has dealt with dozens of different types of pension plans and retirement systems to date, including but not limited to:

1. Federal Employee Retirement System
2. Civil Service Retirement System
3. Vermont State Employees Retirement System
4. Vermont Teachers Retirement System
5. Vermont Municipal Retirement System
6. City of Burlington Retirement Plan
7. City of Burlington Deferred Compensation System
8. Military Retirement Pay (Active and Reserve)
9. Private Employer Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Plans
10. 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
11. 401(k) and 403(b) Plans
12. Federal Thrift Savings Plan
13. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
14. IRA's

For additional information and costs, please contact:

Thomas L. Peairs, Esq.

• PO Box 190
• East Barre, Vermont 05649-0190
• Phone: 1-802-498-4751
• Fax: 1-802-476-7572
• E-mail:  tlpeairs@sover.net