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5 CFR § 838.1012Chapter I

Death of the former spouse

Primary source

Verbatim text below is from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the current version with the eCFR before relying on it for any legal matter.

Full Text

(a) Unless the qualifying court order expressly provides otherwise, the former spouse's share of employee retirement benefits terminates on the last day of the month before the death of the former spouse, and the former spouse's share of employee retirement benefits reverts to the retiree.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subpart, OPM will honor a qualifying court order or an amended qualifying court order that directs OPM to pay, after the death of the former spouse, the former spouse's share of the employee annuity to—

(1) The court;

(2) An officer of the court acting as a fiduciary;

(3) The estate of the former spouse; or

(4) One or more of the retiree's children as defined in section 8342(c) or section 8424(d) of title 5, United States Code.

[57 FR 33597, July 29, 1992, as amended at 58 FR 43493, Aug. 17, 1993]

eCFR data current as of: November 5, 2026

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.