§ 19.6-4 Date of court orders.

(a) A court order directing or barring payment of a pension to a former spouse under § 19.9 may not be given effect by the Department if it is issued more than 12 months after the divorce becomes final. A court order adjusting the amount of a regular or additional survivor annuity to a former spouse under §19.11-2 or §19.10-5 may not be given effect by the Department if it is issued after the death of the principal.

(b) A court order issued within 12 months after a divorce becomes final directing payment of a pension to a former spouse in an amount other than provided in §19.9 may be made retroactively effective to the first of the month in which the divorce becomes final if so specified by the court. In such event, the Department will adjust any future payments that may become due to an annuitant and a former spouse by increasing one and correspondingly reducing the other in order to give effect to the order of the court. However, if future payments to one party are not due, as for example if a court orders that no payments be made to a former spouse, or that 100 percent of an annuity be paid as pension to a former spouse, the Department will not give retroactive effect to a court order by collecting overpayments from one party in order to pay them to the other party and will not make overpayments from the Fund.

(c) A court order under this chapter involving any payment other than a pension to a former spouse under § 19.9 may not be given retroactive effect and shall not be effective until it is determined to be a qualifying order under § 19.6-5.

$ 19.6-5 Preliminary review.

(a) Upon receipt of an application for payment under §19.6-3, PER/ER/RET will determine whether

(1) The application is complete;

(2) The applicant is an eligible beneficiary under this chapter; and

(3) The court order is a qualifying order. If the application is completed, the beneficiary is eligible and the court order appears on its face to be a qualifying order, PER/ER/RET will provide the notification required by $19.66, otherwise, it will notify the applicant

of any deficiency or requirement for additional information, and if the order is determined to be non-qualifying, the basis for such determination.

(b) Upon receipt of a certified copy of a final decree of divorce, PER/ER/RET will determine whether

(1) It is a valid decree. Any decree recognized as valid by the parties will be considered valid for this purpose. In addition, any non-recognized decree will be considered valid for this purpose unless:

(i)(A) Neither party was domiciled within the court's jurisdiction, and

(B) The party denying recognition did not participate in the proceedings,

or

(ii) The party denying recognition was not afforded notice of the proceedings (actual or constructive);

(2) A related court order has been submitted by either party; and

(3) A pro rata share payment is or may become due the former spouse. If a divorce decree is deemed valid under this paragraph, a pro rata share payment is due a former spouse unless PER/ER/RET is in receipt of a court order which it has deemed qualified under paragraph (a) of this section, or a valid spousal agrement providing otherwise. If it determines that a pro rata share payment is due, it will provide the notification required by §19.66, otherwise, unless action is being taken pursuant to a related court order, it will notify both parties to the divorce the reason a pro rata share payment is not payable.

[46 FR 12958, Feb. 19, 1981. Redesignated and amended at 46 FR 18970, Mar. 27, 1981]

$19.6-6 Notification.

a

(a) Notification to a principal. Whenever PER/ER/RET receives from former spouse or other eligible beneficiary

(1) a court order which it deems qualified that requires payment to the beneficiary; or

(2) A final decree of divorce which it deems valid together with a request for a pro rata share payment-PER/ER/ RET will send a copy of the document to the principal and a notice stating: (i) That PER/ER/RET deems the order qualified or the divorce decree valid, (ii) that payments will be made from

the principal's account to the beneficiary and the effective date of such payments, (iii) the effect of such payments on the principal's retirement benefit. In the case of any court order with retroactive or immediate effect, and in the case of pro rata share payments, the amounts will be withheld from future payments to the principal but will not be paid to the beneficiary for 30 days from the notice date in order to give the principal an opportunity to contest the court order or the validity of the divorce.

PER/ER/RET will provide the former spouse or other beneficiary the same information, stating the exact amount that will be payable to the beneficiary and explaining how that amount was calculated.

a

(b) Notification to a former spouse. When PER/ER/RET receives from principal (1) a court order which it deems qualified that requires or forbids payment to a former spouse; or (2) a final decree of divorce which it deems valid without an accompanying court order-PER/ER/RET will send a copy of the document to the former spouse and a notice stating: (i) That PER/ER/RET deems the court order qualified or the divorce decree valid, (ii) that PER/ER/ RET intends to honor the court decree or to make pro rata share payments because of the divorce, (iii) the effective date, exact amount, and method of calculation of any payments to the former spouse.

PER/ER/RET will provide the same information to the principal and will explain the effect any payment to a former spouse will have on the principal's retirement benefit.

$19.6-7 Decision.

(a) When a response has not been received by PER/ER/RET from a principal within the 30-day period under §19.6-6a, payment will be made in accordance with the notification. When a response is received, the Chief, PER/ ER/RET will consider the response. If it is shown that a court order is not qualifying or that a divorce is not valid under terms of the Act and these regulations, payment proposed in the notification will not be made. In such a case, PER/ER/RET will advise both parties of the basis for its decision and

the alternative action, if any, that it proposes to take.

(b) If a principal responding to a notification under $19.6-6a objects to the payment or other action proposed by the Department in the notification based on the validity of the court order or divorce decree, and the record contains support for the objection, PER/ ER/RET will grant the principal 30 days to initiate formal legal action to determine the validity of the objection, will continue to delay payment to the former spouse or other beneficiary during this period, and will notify the beneficiary of this action. If evidence is submitted that formal legal action has been started within the 30-day period, the amount of any proposed payment to a former spouse or other beneficiary will continue to be withheld from any payments due the principal, but no payment will be made to the former spouse or other beneficiary until a judicial decision is rendered or agreement reached between the parties.

[46 FR 12958, Feb. 19, 1981. Redesignated and amended at 46 FR 18970, Mar. 27, 1981]

§ 19.6-8 Allotment to beneficiary.

If a court order is not a qualifying court order because it directs or implies that payment to the beneficiary is to be made by the principal rather than the Secretary of State, the principal may make an allotment to the beneficiary from his/her annuity. An annuitant may also make an allotment from his/her annuity to a previous spouse in the absence of a court order. $19.6-9 Limitations.

(a) Retirement benefits are subject to apportionment by court order under §19.6-1(a)(6) only while the principal is living. Payment of apportioned amounts will be made only to a previous spouse and/or the children of the principal. Such payments will not be made to any of the following:

(1) Heirs or legatees of the previous spouse;

(2) Creditors of either the principal or the previous spouse; or

(3) Assignees of either the principal or the previous spouse.

(b) The amount of any court ordered payment may not be less than one dollar and, in the absence of compelling

circumstances, shall be in whole dol

lars.

(c) In honoring and complying with a court order, the Department shall not be required to disrupt the scheduled method of accruing retirement benefits or the normal timing for making such payments, despite the existence of any special schedule relating to a previous spouse or other beneficiary.

(d) In cases where the court order apportions a percentage of the retirement benefits, PER/ER/RET will initially determine the amount of proper payment. That amount will only be increased by future cost-of-living increases unless the court directs otherwise.

§ 19.6-10 Liability.

(a) The Department shall not be liable for any payment made from retirement benefits pursuant to a court order if such payment is made in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(b) In the event that the Secretary is served with more than one court order with respect to the same retirement benefits, the benefits shall be available to satisfy the court orders on a firstcome, first-served basis.

(c) A previous spouse or other beneficiary may request that an amount be withheld from the retirement benefits of a principal or survivor of a principal which is less than the amount stipulated in a court order, or otherwise scheduled to be paid to the beneficiary under this chapter. This lower amount will be deemed a complete fulfillment of the obligation of the Department for the period in which the request is in effect. See §19.14.

$19.7 Spousal agreements.

$19.7-1 Purpose.

A spousal agreement may be used by both parties to establish an agreedupon level of benefits to a spouse or a former spouse and to relieve the participant of responsibility for providing a higher level of benefits.

§ 19.7-2 Agreement with spouse.

(a) A spousal agreement between a participant and a spouse may waive or fix the level of a regular survivor annu

ity under §19.11-3. If an agreement is filed, it will assure the spouse that the agreed-upon level of survivor annuity will be paid, irrespective of a future divorce provided the survivor meets the definition of "former spouse" in §19.2(k). If an agreement is not filed, the participant's annuity will be reduced under $19.10-2 to provide the maximum regular survivor annuity for the spouse, but in the event of a future divorce if the spouse meets the definition of "former spouse,' "that person will be entitled only to a pro rata share of the survivor annuity. An agreement under this paragraph may be filed with PER/ER/RET at any time prior to retirement (commencement of the principal's annuity).

(b) A spousal agreement between an annuitant and a spouse filed with PER/ ER/RET before commencement of a supplemental annuity for recall service may waive a supplemental survivor annuity that would otherwise be provided for a spouse under § 19.10-6.

(c) A spousal agreement between a participant or former participant and a spouse may be filed with PER/ER/RET at any time in accordance with §19.105 and provide for an additional survivor annuity for the spouse.

(d) A spousal agreement filed under paragraph (a), (b), or (c) remains valid and binding in the event of divorce if the spouse qualifies as a former spouse.

(a) A spousal agreement between a participant or former participant and a former spouse may waive, reduce or increase the following benefits for a former spouse;

(1) A pension under $19.9;

(2) A regular survivor annuity under §19.11-2;

(3) A supplemental survivor annuity under §19.10-6;

(4) A lump sum payment for regular or recall service under §19.13.

A spousal agreement shall also be used by a participant or former participant who has a former spouse on February 15, 1981, to elect a regular survivor annuity for such former spouse in accordance with §19.11-2(e). An agreement to establish or increase any benefit for a former spouse entered into while the

principal is married to someone else, must be signed and agreed to by both the spouse and the former spouse. An agreement affecting pension benefits may be filed at any time and will govern payments made after its acceptance by PER/ER/RET. An agreement affecting a regular survivor annuity must be filed before the end of the 12month period after the divorce involving that former spouse or at the time of retirement, whichever occurs first, except as authorized in §19.11-2(b) for persons retired on February 15, 1981, or in §19.11-2(e) with respect to persons who were former spouses on February 15, 1981. This filing requirement stated in the Act makes it impossible to adjust, other than by court order, a regular survivor annuity for a former spouse when the divorce occurs after a retirement which occurs on or after February 15, 1981. The survivor annuity for the former spouse in such case is fixed by any spousal agreement entered into prior to the divorce, by §19.11-2 or by court order. An agreement affecting supplemental survivor benefits or lump-sum payments must be filed before the supplemental annuity of the principal begins or lump-sum payment is made.

(b) A spousal agreement between a participant or former participant and a former spouse may be filed with PER/ ER/RET at any time in accordance with §19.10-5 to provide an additional survivor annuity for the former spouse.

$19.7-4 Form of agreement.

(a) A spousal agreement is any legal agreement between the parties accepted by PER/ER/RET as meeting the requirements of this section. If in accordance with the regulations, PER/ER/ RET will accept as a valid spousal agreement a property settlement agreed to by the parties and approved by a court regardless of the date of the agreement.

(b) A spousal agreement must either be authenticated by a court or notarized.

$19.7-5 Limitations.

(a) A spousal agreement may not provide for any payment from the Fund in excess of the amount otherwise authorized to be paid, or at a time not author

ized by these regulations, or to a person other than a spouse or former spouse.

(b) A spousal agreement must be filed with the Department, Attention PER/ ER/RET, and accepted by that office as in conformance with the Act and these regulations prior to the times specified in §§ 19.7-2 and 19.7-3. That office will provide advice to the parties on the validity of any proposed agreement and on proper format.

(c) A spousal agreement may apply only to payments from the Fund for periods after receipt of a valid agreement by the Department.

(d) Paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of §§ 19.6-9 and 19.6-10 apply to spousal agreements and payments made pursuant to spousal agreements to the same extent that they apply to court orders and court ordered payments.

§ 19.7-6 Duration and precedence of spousal agreements.

(a) A spousal agreement may be revised or voided by agreement of the parties (by filing a new agreement under this section) at any time prior to the last day for filing an agreement determined in accordance with §19.7-2 or $19.7-3, except spousal agreements for additional survivor annuities are irrevocable. After the last day for filing a particular agreement, such agreement is irrevocable.

(b) A valid spousal agreement entered into subsequent to the issuance of a court order affecting the same parties will override the court order, and shall govern payments from the Fund.

(c) A spousal agreement may not override a previous spousal agreement involving the same principal but a different spouse or former spouse without agreement of such spouse or former spouse.

§ 19.8 Obligations of members.

Participants and former participants are obligated by the Act and these regulations to provide the following benefits to others and must accept the necessary reductions in their own retirement benefits to meet these obligations:

(a) A pension to a former spouse pursuant to §19.9;

(b) A court ordered apportionment of annuity to a previous spouse or child under $19.6–1 (a)(6) (the benefit to a child referred to here is paid during the annuitant's lifetime as distinguished from the automatic survivorship annuity to a child described in § 19.11-7);

(c) A regular survivor annuity to a former spouse who has not remarried prior to age 60, and to a spouse to whom married when annuity commences, pursuant to §§ 19.11-2 and 19.113;

(d) An additional survivor annuity for a spouse or former spouse under §19.10-5 when elected by the participant or ordered by a court;

(e) Lump-sum payments to a former spouse pursuant to § 19.13;

(f) Benefits ordered by a court under §19.6 or specified in a spousal agreement under § 19.7.

(a) Unless otherwise expressly provided by a spousal agreement under § 19.7 or a court order under § 19.6, a person who, after February 15, 1981, becomes a former spouse of a participant (or former participant who separated from the Service after February 15, 1981) and who has not remarried prior to becoming 60 years of age, becomes entitled to a monthly pension benefit effective on a date determined under §19.9-2 in an amount determined under §19.9-3.

(b) A former spouse shall not be qualified for a pension under this subsection if, before the commencement of that pension, the former spouse remarries before becoming 60 years of age.

(c) A pension benefit under this section is treated the same as a survivor annuity for purposes of §19.11-5(b): a former spouse who elects to receive a pension under this section must waive simultaneous receipt of any survivor annuity.

[46 FR 12958, Feb. 19, 1981. Redesignated and amended at 46 FR 18970, Mar. 27, 1981]

the latter of the day the principal becomes entitled to a Foreign Service annuity or on the first day of the month in which the divorce becomes final. (Suspension or reduction of a Foreign Service annuity because or reemployment does not affect the commencement of a pension to a former spouse.) In the case of any former spouse of a disability annuitant, the pension of such former spouse shall commence on the latter of:

(1) The date the principal would qualify for an annuity (other than a disability annuity) on the basis of his/her creditable service;

(2) The date the disability annuity begins; or

(3) The first of the month in which the divorce becomes final.

(b) The pension of a former spouse and the right thereto terminate on:

(1) The last day of the month before the former spouse dies or remarries before 60 years of age; or

(2) The date the annuity of the former participant terminates unless the termination results from recall, reappointment or reinstatement in the Foreign Service or reemployment in Government service.

$ 19.9-3 Computation and payment of pension to former spouse.

(a) A pension to a former spouse is paid monthly on the same date that annuity is paid to the principal.

(b) No spousal agreement or court order may provide for a pension or any combination of pensions to former spouses of any one principal which exceeds the net annuity of the principal as defined in § 19.6-2(b).

(c) A pension to a former spouse not fixed by a spousal agreement or court order shall equal the former spouse's pro rata share of 50 percent of the annuity to which the principal is entitled on the date the divorce becomes final, or, if not then entitled to an annuity, 50 percent of the annuity to which the principal first becomes entitled following that date. A pension to a former spouse of a disability annuitant shall be calculated on the basis of an annuity for which the participant would qualify if not disabled. A pension to a former spouse will be increased by the