(a) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing unless the court order provides sufficient instructions and information so that OPM can determine the amount of the former spouse's monthly benefit using only the express language of the court order, subparts A, G and I of this part, and information from normal OPM files.
(b) To provide sufficient instructions and information for OPM to compute the amount of a former spouse survivor annuity as required by paragraph (a) of this section, if the court order uses a formula to determine the former spouse survivor annuity, it must not use any variables whose values are not readily ascertainable from the face of the court order or normal OPM files.
(c) A court order awarding a former spouse survivor annuity is not a court order acceptable for processing if OPM would have to examine a State statute or court decision (on a different case) to understand, establish, or evaluate the formula for computing the former spouse survivor annuity.
authority: 5 U.S.C. 8347(a) and 8461(g). Subparts B, C, D, E, J, and K also issued under
5 U.S.C. 8345(j)(2) and 8467(b). Sections 838.221, 838.422, and 838.721 also issued under
5 U.S.C. 8347(b)
source: 57 FR 33574, July 29, 1992, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 5 CFR 838.805