Court orders must expressly award a former spouse survivor annuity or expressly direct an employee or retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity
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) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing unless it expressly awards a former spouse survivor annuity or expressly directs an employee or retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity as described in paragraph (b) of this section.
(b) To expressly award a former spouse survivor annuity or expressly direct an employee or retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity as required by paragraph (a) of this section the court order must—
(1) Identify the retirement system using terms that are sufficient to identify the retirement system as explained in § 838.911; and
(2) (i) Expressly state that the former spouse is entitled to a former spouse survivor annuity using terms that are sufficient to identify the survivor annuity as explained in § 838.912; or
(ii) Expressly direct the retiree to elect to provide a former spouse survivor annuity using terms that are sufficient to identify the survivor annuity as explained in § 838.912.
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.