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<p>Law Office of<br>
<strong>F.ANDREKITA SILVA</strong><br>
<strong>_______________________________________________________ </strong><br>
<br>
June 22, 2022<br>
<br>
Dalynne,<br>
<br>
DRS can answer many of your questions on it’s website. It also has a detailed handbook that you can request that details all their rules for each particular plan, like PERS and SERS, etc. These handbooks say what happens on early retirement, divorce, death, etc.<br>
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Below is a link for answers on its website re: a PERS2. But, this info is available for all DRS plans.<br>
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https://www.drs.wa.gov/plan/pers2/#marriage-or-divorce<br>
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I don’t believe marital separation is an event that DRS concerns itself with unless there is a divorce. If parties are separated but no decree of divorce is entered because a spouse dies before a decree is entered, the divorce action abates or terminates by operation of law. So, the couple remains married. I have never had this issue come up in the DRS context, but for DRS purposes, I assume the original separation becomes a non event if there is a death prior to entry of a decree. But, presumably, a DRS handbook or the designation of beneficiary executed by the plan holder's would say. <br>
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When parties divorce, the court always wants to know the value of the community portion of the asset at the time of marital separation. However, that doesn’t always determine how the asset will be divided. So, if a divorced party dies <u><strong>after</strong></u> the decree is entered, you must look to the QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) to see who was awarded what, how it will be paid, and what happens to the plan participant's benefits (and the alternate payee's benefits) when the plan participant dies. (Plan participants can sometimes choose different options re: benefits.) <br>
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I would be happy to talk to you. But, most of what I know – other than the actual process for drafting and approval of a QDRO- is what’s in their manual.<br>
<br>
andrekita<br>
Law Office of F. Andrekita Silva<br>
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 2000<br>
Seattle, Washington 98101<br>
206-224-8288<br>
www.seattle-silvalaw.com<br>
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Quoting Dalynne Singleton <<a href="mailto:dalynne@glgmail.com">dalynne@glgmail.com</a>>:</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Does anyone know someone, attorney or CPA preferred, who I can speak with about the WA Department of Retirement Systems and their rules?</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">I get a different answer every time I call DRS on retirement, death of retiree, marriage and spousal benefits, separation of married parties, etc.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Dalynne Singleton</span></i></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Gourley Law Group</span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Snohomish Escrow</span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>The Exchange Connection</span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>1002 10<sup>th</sup> Street / PO Box 1091</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Snohomish, WA 98291</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>360.568.5065</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>360.568.1717 fax</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'><a href="mailto:dalynne@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">dalynne@glgmail.com</span></a></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>Website: <a href="http://www.glglawgroup.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">www.glglawgroup.com</span></a></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>As we face the challenges presented by COVID-19, Attorney/client meetings will be handled by teleconference or virtually whenever possible. I am working remotely and available by email, telephone, in-person or zoom. If you would like to set a conference with me, please call or email my paralegal <a href="mailto:theresa@glgmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">theresa@glgmail.com</span></a>, <a href="mailto:angelina@glgmail.com"><span style="color:blue">angelina@glgmail.com</span></a> or <a href="mailto:cameron@glgmail.com"><span style="color:blue">cameron@glgmail.com</span></a>.</span></p>
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