Your spouse has an incredible pension plan. They already earn well over $100,000 per year, and they have a pension. They haven’t been saving much else for retirement because they know that the pension is going to kick in. This has given you a very high standard of living and a lot of security regarding your financial future. You don’t have to worry.

Then your spouse asks for a divorce. The first thing you think about is that pension. You’re close to retiring yourself. Because the pension existed, you also did not put aside your own money for retirement. There is certainly no time for you to save up enough to make your own retirement secure. If your marriage ends, are you going to completely lose the ability to retire and be forced to work for years longer than you wanted to?

You can see how this may be an even larger concern than the actual end of the marriage. It’s going to impact your entire future and change your life. What can you do?

One option may be to use a QDRO during the divorce. The full name for this is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order. Since your spouse was earning that pension while you were married, the percentage of it that they earned while you were together is a marital asset. You still have a right to that money. The QDRO legally divides it up so that, when your spouse retires, you can too. The QDRO reroutes your percentage of the pension plan to your bank account. You can protect your financial future.

You can see exactly why it’s so important to understand all of your options during a high-asset divorce. The more you understand about the mechanics of divorce, the better you can strategize your approach.