United States Railroad Retirement Board

Office of General Counsel

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 

TO THE PARTITION OF
 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT
 

ANNUITIES

July 2020
	
       

 

 

Purpose of This Guide

This booklet is a guide to the partition of employee railroad 

retirement annuities as property in a state court action for 

divorce, annulment, or legal separation. It explains how to 

effect an annuity partition in compliance with the Railroad 

Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. §§ 231-231-v) and the regulations 

of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (20 CFR Part 295). 

This booklet is not a resource tool for private pension plans 

of rail industry employers. 

Questions or comments concerning the information in this 

booklet should be submitted in writing to: 

Office of General Counsel
 

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board 

844 North Rush Street 

Chicago, IL 60611-1275
 

E-mail: LAW@rrb.gov
 
   

 

       

     

   

         

 

             

           

               

   

         

     

                   

   

               

CONTENTS
 

THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT ..................................................................... 1
 

Benefits Subject to Property Division ..................................................... 1 

Spouse and Divorced Spouse Annuity Entitlement ................................. 1 

EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT (ERISA) ..................................... 2
 

FUNDING OF RAILROAD RETIREMENT ANNUITIES .............................................. 3 

“Valuation” and Railroad Retirement Annuities ...................................... 3 

Status of Railroad Retirement Tax as Marital Asset ................................ 4 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ANNUITY COMPONENTS .............................................. 4 

Non-divisible Tier I Component .............................................................. 4 

Divisible Annuity Components ............................................................... 4 

STATEMENT OR ESTIMATE OF RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS ......................... 5
 

Basis of Statement or Estimate .............................................................. 6 

Report of Creditable Service and Compensation ..................................... 6 

Future Benefits ..................................................................................... 6 

Disclosure of Employee Information ....................................................... 7 

SUMMARY OF RRB REQUIREMENTS FOR A PARTITION ORDER ............................. 7
 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT DISABILITY ANNUITIES ARE SUBJECT TO DIVISION............. 9
 

RRB ACTION ON RECEIPT OF DECREE OR COURT ORDER .....................................10
 

TERMINATION OF PARTITION .........................................................................12
 

EFFECT OF AMBIGUITY AND OTHER PROVISIONS ..............................................13
 

NAME AND ADDRESS CHANGES ......................................................................13
 

LEGAL PROCESS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
 

(GARNISHMENT) ........................................................................................13
 

APPENDICES

A. Frequently Asked Questions .............................................................15
 

B. Sample Award Language ..................................................................20
 

C. Sample Court Order .........................................................................23
 

D. General Conditions Under Which a Person is Entitled to a 

Railroad Retirement Divorced Spouse Annuity (RRB Form G-177c) ....24
 

E. Agreement of Spouse or Former Spouse ...........................................26
 
ATTORNEY’S GUIDE 1

       

           

             

THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT
 

The Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) replaces the Social Security Act 

for rail industry employers and employees and provides monthly 

annuities for employees based on age and service or on disability. The 

RRA is administered by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), an 

independent agency in the executive branch of the Federal government. 

The RRB does not administer the private pension plans of rail industry 

employers. 

Benefits Subject to Property Division

Annuities under the RRA may be comprised of several components, 

with the most common components being known as tier I and tier II. 

Prior to 1983, section 14 of the RRA (45 U.S.C. § 231m) prohibited the 

partition of any part of an annuity under the RRA. See Hisquierdo v. 

Hisquierdo, 439 U.S. 572. However, section 14 of the RRA was amended 

in 1983 to provide that, with respect to annuity amounts payable for 

months beginning with September 1983, the RRB must comply with a 

court order that characterizes the non-tier I benefits as property subject 

to distribution. The prohibition on partition of the tier I component 

remains. 

Spouse and Divorced Spouse Annuity Entitlement

In addition to providing monthly annuities for employees of the rail 

industry, the RRA also provides annuities for spouses, divorced spouses 

and survivors who meet certain eligibility requirements. However, such 

annuities are not subject to partition. See 20 CFR § 295.1(b). Furthermore, a court cannot mandate entitlement to an auxiliary annuity. The 

RRB will disregard any attempt by a state court to award the divorced 

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2 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

spouse annuity or surviving divorced spouse annuity. Similarly, the RRB 

will disregard any attempt by a state court to bar entitlement to a 

divorced spouse annuity or surviving divorced spouse annuity. An 

eligible spouse or divorced spouse can receive an annuity under the RRA 

in addition to any divisible portion of the employee’s annuity awarded to 

her or him as property by state court order. In contrast to a partition 

award, which awards the spouse or former spouse a share of the 

employee’s annuity, the payment of an annuity to an eligible spouse or 

divorced spouse does not reduce the amount of the employee’s annuity. 

Also, section 2(c) of the RRA (45 U.S.C. § 231a) was amended to provide 

entitlement to a divorced spouse annuity even if the employee has not yet 

filed for an annuity. See 20 CFR § 216.52. The requirements which 

must be met to be entitled to a divorced spouse annuity are also found in 

Appendix D. 

The IB-2, Railroad Retirement and Survivor Benefits, is a booklet 

that explains retirement and survivor benefits under the RRA and may 

be obtained from any RRB field office. This information, along with 

additional material, may also be found under “legal information” at the 

RRB’s web site www.rrb.gov. 

EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT (ERISA)

ERISA, as amended by the Retirement Equity Act of 1984, does not 

apply to annuities under the RRA. Consequently, the RRB will accept a 

Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) only if it provides for an 

annuity partition that is valid under the RRB’s regulations. Conversely, 

a separate order is not required to effect an annuity partition if 

appropriate language is incorporated within the divorce decree itself. 

Appendix B contains sample language which may be incorporated in a 

divorce decree. Where such language is not included in either the 
         

         

 

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 3

divorce decree or a separation agreement incorporated by reference into 

the divorce decree, a court order will have to be issued. A sample court 

order may be found in Appendix C, as well as on the RRB’s web site. 

FUNDING OF RAILROAD RETIREMENT ANNUITIES

Railroad employees and employers pay employment taxes under 

the Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA) (26 U.S.C. §§ 3201-3241) to fund 

payment of railroad retirement annuities. The taxes paid are credited to 

trust funds from which annuities are paid. RRTA taxes are analogous to 

contributions under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The 

Internal Revenue Service collects RRTA taxes just as it collects FICA and 

other Federal taxes. Like FICA contributions, properly collected RRTA 

taxes are not refundable. 

“Valuation” and Railroad Retirement Annuities

Railroad retirement taxes are not credited to individual employee 

“accounts” that accrue value over time as an independent monetary 

asset. Rather, an employee’s monthly annuity rate is computed solely on 

the basis of his or her length of service and earnings in covered 

employment. Therefore, it is impossible to segregate or establish a 

separate account for the share of the employee’s future annuity awarded 

as property to a spouse or former spouse. A court order that divides an 

employee’s “account” instead of his or her retirement annuity will not be 

valid under the RRA. 

In addition, the RRB does not administer any private pensions, 

therefore, questions regarding any stock options, deferred savings plan, 

employee stock ownership plan, life insurance, etc., should be directed to 

the employee’s railroad employer. 
               

   

 

    

       

4 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

Status of Railroad Retirement Tax as Marital Asset

The amount of taxes paid by an individual employee under the 

RRTA is not a marital or community property asset available for division 

by court order. 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ANNUITY COMPONENTS

An employee’s railroad retirement annuity is a monthly benefit 

comprised of several components. As described below, there are 

restrictions as to which components a court may characterize as 

property and subsequently distribute between the parties. 

Non-divisible Tier I Component 

The tier I component of an employee’s annuity is calculated by 

applying the benefit formula in section 215 of the Social Security Act 

(42 U.S.C. § 415) to the employee’s earnings record. For this purpose, an 

employee’s earnings record includes both rail industry earnings and any 

earnings from employment covered by the Social Security Act. Tier I is 

the same benefit amount that the Social Security Act would provide if the 

employee’s railroad employment had been covered under that Act. 

IMPORTANT: Section 14 of the RRA (45 U.S.C. § 231m) specifically 

exempts the tier I component from property division and the RRB will not 

honor a property division that attempts to divide the tier I component. 

Divisible Annuity Components

In addition to the non-divisible tier I component, an employee’s 

annuity includes a tier II component and may also include certain other 

components, as described below. The RRA does not prohibit allocation 

as property the following annuity components: 
      

       

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 5

• Tier II component.--An employee’s tier II component is based 

solely upon rail industry service and earnings. It is calculated under 

section 3(b) of the RRA. 

• Supplemental annuity.--An employee who completes 25 years of 

railroad service and who had railroad service before 1981 may receive a 

supplemental annuity under section 2(b) of the RRA. If payable, the 

amount of a supplemental annuity ranges from $23 to a maximum of 

$43 per month. 

• Vested dual benefit.--The vested dual benefit is an additional 

amount available to railroad employees who meet certain vesting 

requirements and are fully insured under both the RRA and the Social 

Security Act prior to 1975. 

• Overall minimum increase.--In some cases, an employee’s 

annuity under the RRA may be less than the amount he or she could 

receive under the Social Security Act if rail industry employment were 

covered by that Act. The annuity may be increased so that the employee 

receives at least as much as he or she would receive under the Social 

Security Act. The amount of this increase is divisible. 

NOTE.—Of the above divisible components, the tier II component, 

supplemental annuity, and vested dual benefit may continue to be paid 

as a partition award after the death of the employee. The overall 

minimum increase, however, is not payable as part of a partition award 

after the death of the employee. 

STATEMENT OR ESTIMATE
 

OF RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS
 

Upon request, the RRB will provide a report of the amount of the 

monthly annuity being paid to a retired railroad employee and a 

breakdown of the divisible and non-divisible components. If the 

employee is not retired but has completed 10 years of railroad service, or 
         

         

   

6 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

5 years of railroad service after 1995, the RRB will estimate the divisible 

and non-divisible monthly benefit amounts that would be payable if the 

employee were of retirement age at the time of the request. Estimates 

are not available until the employee has acquired the above-noted 

railroad service. Also, estimates are computed in June for service in the 

preceding calendar year. For example, estimates based on service in 

calendar year 2010 are not available until June 2011. 

Basis of Statement or Estimate

The RRB computes benefit estimates on the basis of its record of 

the employee’s service and earnings. The RRB’s records are updated 

annually on the basis of employer reports of employee service and 

earnings for the previous year. Benefit estimates are gross annuity 

amounts before any reductions. (Examples of annuity reductions 

include age reduction for early retirement, reduction for additional 

benefit entitlement, deductions for work, Medicare premium deductions, 

etc.) 

Report of Creditable Service and Compensation

Each year, the RRB issues Form BA-6, Certificate of Service Months 

and Compensation, to railroad employees, showing the employee’s service 

for the previous calendar year and his or her total creditable railroad 

service and compensation. The amount of creditable railroad 

compensation does not in any way reflect the “value” of the employee’s 

railroad retirement benefits. 

Future Benefits

The RRB cannot furnish the present value of future benefits. 

Further, the RRB will not make computations based upon statistics or 

procedures not maintained by the RRB in its administration of the RRA. 
        

        

       

 

 

 

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 7

The RRB can provide information only to the extent it is maintained in its 

official records. 

Disclosure of Employee Information

Other than annuity amounts and estimates, the RRB can provide 

information about the employee only if the employee authorizes the RRB 

to release it to another party. Information concerning an individual is 

not subject to disclosure even though it has been made the subject of a 

subpoena. See 20 CFR §§ 200.8 and 295.6. See also Hubbard v. 

Southern Railway Company, 179 F. Supp. 244 (D.C. M.D. Ga., 1959). 

As stated in 20 CFR § 295.6, the RRB treats a subpoena as a request for 

a benefit report or estimate. 

SUMMARY OF RRB REQUIREMENTS
 

FOR A PARTITION ORDER
 

The RRB’s regulations implementing section 14(b)(2) of the RRA 

(45 U.S.C. § 231m(b)(2)) have been published as Part 295 of Chapter II of 

Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The RRB will honor a decree 

of divorce, legal separation or annulment (or a court-approved property 

settlement incident to such a decree) that complies with these 

regulations. The key provisions of the regulations are as follows: 

• Final Decree.--The decree or order must be final, and issued in 

accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction of that court 

(20 CFR § 295.2). 

• Statutory Authority.--The decree or order must provide for the 

division of the employee’s benefit under the RRA, as distinguished from 

payments under a private pension plan (20 CFR § 295.3(a)(1)). 

• Final Disposition of Property.--The decree or order must provide 

for the division of the employee’s benefits as part of a final disposition of 
 

         

      

        

8 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

property between the parties, rather than as an award of spousal support 

(20 CFR § 295.2). 

• Obligate the RRB. – The decree or order must obligate the 

Railroad Retirement Board rather than the employee to make direct 

payments to the spouse (20 CFR § 295.3 (a)). 

Division of Certain Benefits Only

The decree or order may not divide the tier I amount 

(20 CFR §§ 295.1(b) and 295.5(a)). The RRB will apply a decree only to 

the employee’s non-tier I benefits regardless of the wording of a decree 

(20 CFR § 295.4(b)). 

Statement of Award

A decree or order may state the partition award as a percentage, 

dollar amount or as fraction of the employee’s benefits subject to division 

(see Appendix B for sample language; also see the RRB’s web site). The 

RRB will deduct any amount or fraction allowed under state law, but the 

RRB will not deduct an amount greater than the total benefits subject to 

division payable to the employee for any month. 

Service of Certified Copy

A certified copy of any decree awarding a spouse or former spouse 

an interest in an employee’s benefits must be forwarded to the General 

Counsel, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, 

Chicago, IL 60611-1275. The accompanying correspondence must 

identify the employee by name and social security number and should 

include the current mailing addresses of both parties and/or their 

counsel. 
     

     

 

     

       

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 9

Obligation of Spouse

The spouse or former spouse of an employee must complete an 

Agreement of Spouse or Former Spouse as a condition for receiving 

payment of the partition award. The spouse or former spouse will also 

be required to complete a Direct Deposit sign-up form. It is also the 

responsibility of the spouse or former spouse to keep the RRB informed 

of any changes in his or her address. Such changes must include the 

employee’s name and social security number, to assure proper filing and 

notification of the spouse or former spouse. If an employee is currently 

being paid an annuity, the spouse or former spouse’s timely response 

upon receipt of such notice is very important. See “RRB Action on 

Receipt of Decree or Court Order” on page 10 for additional information. 

When Payments Begin

Payments from the employee’s annuity pursuant to the decree may 

begin with the employee’s annuity beginning date; a date specified in the 

decree; the month the Office of General Counsel receives the decree; or 

the first month in which both parties attain (or would have attained) age 

62, depending on the particular circumstances of the case. 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT DISABILITY ANNUITIES
 

ARE SUBJECT TO DIVISION
 

Disability annuities paid under the RRA are subject to partition as 

property in the same manner as age and service annuities, unless the 

court order provides otherwise. 

The RRB will apply a valid court order or decree to any type of 

annuity that the RRB pays an employee, whether on the basis of 

disability or age and service, unless the court order expressly exempts an 

employee’s disability annuity from partition. However, if the order 

contains such an exemption, but does not otherwise prohibit the division 
 

                 

10 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

of an age and service annuity, the RRB will apply the court order or 

decree when the disability annuity is converted to an age and service 

annuity. 

The RRB converts an employee’s annuity from a disability annuity 

to an age and service annuity when the employee attains full retirement 

age. For those employees born before 1938, full retirement age is 65. 

See Chart 2 of Appendix D for a breakdown of when an individual born 

after 1937 attains full retirement age. 

RRB ACTION ON RECEIPT OF DECREE OR COURT ORDER

Upon receipt of a court-certified copy of a decree or court order, the 

RRB will take the following actions: 

A. Determine whether the order complies with the RRB’s partition 

regulations (20 CFR § 295). 

B. Advise the parties or their legal representatives of the 

determination (20 CFR § 295.4(c)). 

C. If the employee is currently receiving an annuity, and: 

(1) the spouse or former spouse has submitted an executed 

Agreement of Spouse or Former Spouse and a Direct Deposit sign-up 

form, the RRB will withhold the court-ordered partition amount from any 

annuity payments currently being made to the employee and initiate 

payment to the former spouse. 

(2) the spouse or former spouse has not yet submitted both an 

executed Agreement of Spouse or Former Spouse and a Direct Deposit 

sign-up form, the RRB will request that he or she do so. Withholding 

from the employee and payment to the spouse or former spouse will 

occur as described in “E” of this section. 
ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 11

D. If the employee is not yet entitled to an annuity, the RRB will 

file the order in its official records under the employee’s social security 

number. When the employee becomes entitled to an annuity, the RRB 

will send notice to the spouse or former spouse at the most current 

address for him or her in the records maintained under the employee’s 

social security number. The spouse or former spouse will be asked to 

complete the Agreement of Spouse or Former Spouse and/or a Direct 

Deposit sign-up form, if not in file, and to respond to the RRB within 

three months of the date of that notice. Withholding from the employee 

and payment to the spouse or former spouse will occur as described in 

(E) of this section. 

In those cases where an Agreement of Spouse or Former Spouse has 

been returned and the employee dies before becoming entitled to an 

annuity, payment of the partition award may begin in the month the 

following three conditions are met: 1) the employee has completed 10 

years of railroad service (or 5 years of railroad service after 

December 31, 1995); 2) the former spouse is age 62; and 3) the 

employee would have been age 62. 

E. The RRB will withhold the court-ordered partition amount from 

annuity payments currently being made to the employee and initiate 

payment to the former spouse as soon as the Agreement of Spouse or 

Former Spouse and Direct Deposit sign-up form are both returned to the 

Office of General Counsel of the RRB. The RRB will withhold a partition 

award from the employee’s annuity for three months pending receipt of 

the Agreement and Direct Deposit sign-up form, or a response from the 

spouse or former spouse as requested in (D) of this section. After three 

months, if these documents or response have not been received in the 

Office of General Counsel, the RRB no longer has any obligation to 

withhold the annuity partition, and the withheld amounts are released to 

the employee (20 CFR § 295(4)(d)). Withholding will not begin again until 
     

12 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

the signed Agreement and Direct Deposit sign-up form are received in the 

Office of General Counsel, and no arrearage accrues to the former 

spouse. 

F. The RRB will suspend the partition payment of a spouse or 

former spouse for any month in which the annuity of the employee is not 

payable for reasons other than the employee’s death. No arrearage 

accrues to the spouse or former spouse for any month in which the 

annuity of the employee is suspended or reduced under the RRA. 

TERMINATION OF PARTITION

The payment of a partition award to a spouse or former spouse will 

terminate the earlier of the following: 

• the first day of the month in which a terminating event 

specified in the decree occurs; or 

• the month prior to the month in which the spouse or former 

spouse dies. 

Previously, partition payments terminated upon the death of either 

party, whichever occurred first. Section 14 of the RRA has been 

amended to allow for the continued payment of a partition award after 

the employee’s death, and not terminate until the death of the spouse or 

former spouse, unless the decree or order provides for termination at an 

earlier date. The continued payment will be in the amount of the 

employee annuity net tier II benefit component that was payable to a 

former spouse as of the month prior to the month of the employee’s 

death, as well as other divisible annuity components included in the 

partition awarded the former spouse (e.g., supplemental annuity, vested 

dual benefit) except for the overall minimum increase, which is not 

payable after the employee’s death. Cost-of-living adjustments will be 

made to the partition award after the death of the employee in those 
         

     

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 13

cases where the partition is calculated as a percentage of the employee’s 

divisible benefits. 

EFFECT OF AMBIGUITY AND OTHER PROVISIONS

If the decree or court order does not comply with the RRB’s 

partition regulations (20 CFR § 295), or if it contains an ambiguity that 

cannot be resolved, the RRB will explain the nature of the problems that 

prevent approval. 

The RRB will disregard any provision of an order that attempts to 

require a division of the employee’s tier I component or that requires 

payment of a divorced spouse benefit or a survivor benefit under the 

RRA. The RRB will also disregard any provision of an otherwise valid 

order if such provision runs contrary to the RRA. 

NAME AND ADDRESS CHANGES

The spouse or former spouse is responsible for informing the RRB 

in writing of any name and address changes. When the partition award 

becomes payable, the RRB will notify the spouse or former spouse at the 

most recent address contained in records maintained under the 

employee’s social security number. The RRB does not cross reference 

such changes with any changes reported by the spouse or former spouse 

for any other earnings records on which he or she may have entitlement 

under the RRA. Failure to report any such change without referencing 

the employee’s social security number could result in the loss of 

payments to the spouse or former spouse. 
        

   

14 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

LEGAL PROCESS FOR ENFORCEMENT
 

OF SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS (GARNISHMENT)
 

Annuity payments under the RRA (and payments under the 

Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, which the RRB also administers) 

may be subject to proceedings to enforce an employee’s legal obligation to 

provide child support or alimony (maintenance). Such legal process 

should be in accord with state law and should be directed to the 

General Counsel, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush 

Street, Chicago, IL 60611-1275. 

All components of an employee’s annuity, including tier I, are 

subject to legal process for support enforcement, subject to applicable 

state and Federal exemptions. 

Regulations of the RRB concerning garnishment of benefit 

payments have been published in Title 20 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations, Chapter II, Part 350. 

Upon request, the RRB will provide information about any benefit 

payments being made to an employee that may be attached to enforce his 

or her support obligation. The RRB cannot, however, disclose the 

employee’s current address or any other information, the disclosure of 

which is prohibited by Federal statute. The Parent Locator Service has 

the authority to obtain information as to addresses in certain cases and 

can be reached at: 

Parent Locator Service 

Office of Child Support Enforcement 

Department of Health and Human Services 

Aerospace Building - 370 L’Enfant Promenade, S.W. 

Washington, DC 20447 

Telephone: 202-401-9373 

Web site: www.acf.hhs.gov 
   

     

                

                     

           

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 15

APPENDIX A

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Does the employee have a divisible “account balance?”

An employee does not have a divisible “account balance” with 

respect to any specific period of time, such as the period of the marriage, 

or as of any given date, such as the date of divorce. Therefore, it is 

impossible to establish a separate account for the share awarded to a 

spouse or former spouse or to segregate the share awarded. 

2. What happens to a partitioned annuity upon the death of the

employee or the spouse or former spouse?

Previously, partition payments terminated upon the death of either 

party, whichever occurred first. Section 14 of the RRA has been 

amended to allow for the continued payment of a partition award after 

the employee’s death, and not terminate until the death of the spouse or 

former spouse, unless the decree or order provides for termination at an 

earlier date. The continued payment will be in the amount of the 

employee annuity net tier II benefit component that was payable to a 

former spouse as of the month prior to the month of the employee’s 

death, as well as other divisible annuity components included in the 

partition awarded the former spouse (e.g., supplemental annuity, vested 

dual benefit) except for the overall minimum increase, which is not 

payable after the employee’s death. Cost-of-living adjustments will be 

made to the partition award after the death of the employee in those 

cases where the partition is calculated as a percentage of the employee’s 

divisible benefits. 

If the spouse or former spouse dies first, payment of the amount 

that the spouse or former spouse was receiving, or could receive under 
                         

       

                       

16 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

the order, reverts to the employee as his or her property and does not 

become the property of the estate of the spouse or former spouse. The 

spouse or former spouse may qualify for payment of a survivor annuity 

under the RRA upon the death of the employee. The estimated amount 

of this annuity is equal to the tier I annuity component minus any social 

security benefit to which the surviving divorced spouse may be eligible to 

receive. Any state court determination as to who is the surviving 

divorced spouse will be disregarded by the RRB. 

In addition to the above, The Worker, Retiree, and Employer 

Recovery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-458), eliminated the requirement 

that an employee be entitled to an annuity in order for a partition to be 

paid, and furthermore, now allows payment of a partition award beyond 

the employee’s death to all partition recipients. However, these 

payments may not begin before the month in which the following three 

conditions are met: 1) the employee has completed 10 years of railroad 

service (or 5 years of railroad service after December 31, 1995); 

2) the former spouse is age 62; and 3) the employee also is 62, or if 

deceased, would have been 62. 

3. What is the maximum amount that can be awarded in a state court

order partitioning the employee’s benefits?

The RRA does not set or limit the amount that a court may award 

to a spouse or former spouse as his or her share of the employee’s 

divisible benefits, except that an amount greater than the amount of the 

divisible benefits may not be awarded. Rather, the court sets the award 

by applying relevant state domestic relations law or by approving the 

provisions of a property settlement agreement between the parties. 

4. Can the RRB be joined as a party to a divorce action?
                       

                       

                   

       

                         

                   

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 17

No. The RRB cannot be joined as a party to any action for divorce, 

separation, or annulment. As an agency of the Federal government, the 

RRB is immune from suit in state domestic relations actions and the 

records it maintains are not subject to subpoena by the court. 

5. Can the RRB report whether an employee has a profit sharing plan,

401(k) plan, or other similar monetary asset through his or her railroad

employer?

No. The RRB does not maintain any such information. Questions 

about stock options, deferred savings plans, employee stock ownership 

plans, life insurance, etc., should be directed to the employee’s railroad 

employer. The only information the RRB can supply is information about 

the employee’s actual or potential right to receive an annuity under the 

RRA. The amount of any actual or estimated annuity payments under 

the RRA may also be reported in connection with a state court action for 

divorce, legal separation or annulment. 

6. Does remarriage of the former spouse affect payment of the

amount of the partition?

Remarriage would have no effect unless the court order that 

granted the partition requires termination of payment upon remarriage. 

Since the partitioned amount is an “award of property” and not a 

“benefit” that could be affected by remarriage, the partition payment is 

ordinarily payable regardless of the marital status of either party. 

7. Does an employee’s marriage have to last at least 10 years before a

court can order a partition of his or her annuity?

No. While the length of marriage of the parties may be relevant to 

the court in distributing the marital property, it is not relevant as to 

whether the divisible components of an employee’s annuity are subject to 

division by the court. (As explained in Appendix D, the length of 
                     

   

                   

                           

   

18 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

marriage of the parties is relevant to whether a divorced spouse is eligible 

for a divorced spouse annuity under the RRA.) 

8. What is the difference between a divorced spouse annuity and a

partition award?

Under the RRA the former spouse of an employee may become 

eligible for a divorced spouse annuity in his or her own right. The 

divorced spouse annuity is a matter of Federal law and causes no 

reduction in the retirement annuity payable to the railroad employee. In 

addition, no state court may determine the entitlement of a person to a 

divorced spouse annuity. In order to be eligible for a divorced spouse 

annuity, the former spouse must meet certain statutory requirements 

that are detailed in Appendix D. The divorced spouse annuity is not 

payable if the former spouse is married. The divorced spouse annuity 

may be payable even though the employee is not yet entitled to an 

annuity under the RRA, or is entitled but the employee’s annuity is not 

payable due to work or earnings. 

A partition award is a specified payment of a portion of the 

employee’s divisible components of his or her annuity pursuant to a 

court order, which results in a reduction in the annuity paid to the 

employee. A partition award is not payable for any month in which 

payment of the employee’s annuity is suspended due to work, earnings 

or to recover an overpayment. 

9. Can a spouse, former spouse or surviving divorced spouse receive

both a partition award and an annuity based on his or her relationship to

the employee?

Yes. The spouse, divorced spouse or surviving divorced spouse 

annuity is payable to qualified individuals based upon the provisions of 

the RRA, and a court cannot affect entitlement to such annuity. The 

partition award is payable according to the terms of a valid court decree 
                 

         

               

                 

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 19

or order and is not affected by the payment of an annuity under the RRA 

to the spouse or former spouse. 

10. Will the RRB “pre‐approve” a draft court order dividing an

employee’s annuity under the RRA?

Yes, the Office of General Counsel will review draft orders. Such 

orders may be mailed to the Office of General Counsel, U.S. Railroad 

Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago IL 60611-1275. 

Draft orders may also be faxed to the Office of General Counsel at 

312-751-7102. While final orders may be submitted via fax, a certified 

copy of the document must follow in order for the RRB to be properly 

served (20 CFR 295.3(d)). 

11. What is the difference between a surviving divorced spouse

annuity and a partition payable after the employee’s death?

A surviving divorced spouse annuity is a monthly benefit payable 

to a surviving former spouse based on the provisions of the RRA, with the 

eligibility requirements found in 20 CFR 216.62. Eligibility for a 

surviving divorced spouse annuity, like all survivor annuity eligibility 

under the RRA, requires that the employee have a current connection 

with the railroad industry at the time of his or her death. (Current 

connection requirements are explained in 20 CFR Part 216, Subpart B.) 

The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 

(Public Law 110-458) eliminated the requirement that an employee be 

entitled to an annuity in order for a partition to be paid, and 

furthermore, now allows payment of a partition award beyond the 

employee’s death to all partition recipients. However, these payments 

may not begin before the month in which the following three conditions 

are met: 1) the employee has completed 10 years of railroad service 

(or 5 years of railroad service after December 31, 1995); 2) the former 
20 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

spouse is age 62; and 3) the employee also is 62, or if deceased, would 

have been 62. 
   

     

           

   

 

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 21

APPENDIX B

SAMPLE AWARD LANGUAGE

As explained previously, a partition award may be accomplished by 

including the appropriate language in the divorce decree itself. Provided 

below are three sample paragraphs containing award language 

consistent with the regulations of the RRB. The sample paragraph 

entitled “Formula Award” provides an equal division of property in 

proportion to the period of the marriage, but may be revised to produce a 

different result. 

IMPORTANT : Be certain to review the “Additional Considerations” 

following the sample paragraphs. 

Formula Award

[SPOUSE’S NAME] is awarded, and the Railroad Retirement Board 

is directed to pay, an interest in the portion of [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] 

benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. §§ 231-231v) 

which may be divided as provided by section 14 of that Act 

(45 U.S.C. § 231m). [SPOUSE’S NAME] share shall be computed by 

multiplying the divisible portion of [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] monthly benefit 

by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months 

[EMPLOYEE’S NAME] worked for a railroad employer during the period of 

the marriage [MONTH/YEAR] through [MONTH/YEAR], and the 

denominator of which shall be [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] total number of 

months employed by a railroad employer at retirement, and then dividing 

the product by two. 
   

     

22 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

Percentage Award

[SPOUSE’S NAME] is awarded, and the Railroad Retirement Board 

is directed to pay, an interest in the portion of [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] 

benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. §§ 231-231v) 

which may be divided as provided by section 14 of that Act 

(45 U.S.C. § 231m). [SPOUSE’S NAME] share shall be computed as an 

amount equal to [PERCENTAGE] of [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] monthly 

divisible benefits. 

NOTE.‐‐Caution should be taken when using the “Percentage Award” 

language to be certain such award will produce the intended result. If 

the order provides for a percentage award but does not specify a 

particular point in time, the award will be based upon all railroad service 

throughout the employee’s career, regardless of the period of the 

marriage. If the order does specify that the percentage is awarded as of a 

specific date, the award will be based on the employee’s railroad service 

through the specified date, regardless of the period of the marriage AND 

the award will be converted to a fixed dollar award (see below). 

Fixed Dollar Award

[SPOUSE’S NAME] is awarded, and the Railroad Retirement Board 

is directed to pay, an interest in the portion of [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] 

benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act (45 U.S.C. §§ 231-231v) 

which may be divided as provided by section 14 of that Act (45 U.S.C. 

§ 231m). [SPOUSE’S NAME] share shall be computed as an amount 

equal to [DOLLAR AMOUNT] of [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] monthly divisible 

benefits. 

Additional Considerations 

(1) Divisible Components.--The RRB will apply a valid partition 

award to the sum of all of the divisible components which make up the 

employee’s monthly annuity, unless the court order specifies otherwise. 

The preceding sample paragraphs would result in dividing the sum of the 
ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 23

employee’s divisible components. If the parties wish to restrict the award 

to only one divisible component, the phrase “divisible” in the preceding 

sample paragraphs should be replaced with the component which the 

parties wish to divide. 

(2) Disability Annuity.--Unless the decree or order expressly 

exempts a disability annuity from partition, the RRB will apply a 

partition award to either a retirement or disability annuity under the 

RRA. The parties may avoid partition of a disability annuity by a 

statement such as: “The parties expressly agree that this paragraph shall 

not apply to any disability annuity paid by the RRB.” The RRB will then 

partition the employee’s disability annuity only upon its conversion to an 

age and service annuity at full retirement age. 

(3) Cost-of-living Adjustments.--Under the “Formula Award” 

sample language noted previously, a pro-rata share of any cost-of-living 

increase in the employee’s divisible benefits would also accrue to the 

spouse or former spouse through the month prior to the month of the 

employee’s death. Under the “Percentage Award” sample language noted 

above, a share of any cost-of-living increase in the employee’s divisible 

benefits would also accrue to the spouse or former spouse through the 

month prior to the employee’s death, because the amount awarded is not 

awarded as of a particular point in time. However, if the order provides 

that a percentage is awarded as of a particular point in time, the award 

is converted to a fixed dollar award. Cost-of-living increases do not 

accrue to the spouse or former spouse where the award is a fixed dollar 

amount. 

If language such as that shown above is not included in the court 

decree, a separate order will be needed to achieve a partition of the 

divisible portion of the employee’s annuity. A sample court order is set 

forth in Appendix C. 
  

     

   

     

24 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities 

APPENDIX C

SAMPLE COURT ORDER

[CASE CAPTION]
 

ORDER DIVIDING RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS
 

1. The purpose of this order is to divide [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] non-tier I 

benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act as part of a final distribution 

of property between the parties. The parties in this action were divorced 

by order of this court entered [DATE]. 

2. The court finds in accord with the law of this state that 

[EMPLOYEE’S NAME] non-tier I benefits under the Railroad Retirement 

Act are marital/community property between the parties and may be 

allocated by order of this court. The Railroad Retirement Act prohibits 

any allocation of [EMPLOYEE’S NAME] tier I benefits. The U.S. Railroad 

Retirement Board administers the Railroad Retirement Act. 

3. a. The name and address of the employee are: 

b. The name and address of the spouse/former spouse are: 

4. It is therefore ordered that: [Insert award paragraph; see sample 

language in Appendix B.] 

5. A court-certified copy of this order shall be served upon the General 

Counsel, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, 

Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275. 

6. So ordered this ___________ of _____________ 20___. 

Judge 

Attorney for employee 

[NAME AND ADDRESS OF LAW FIRM] 

Attorney for spouse 

[NAME AND ADDRESS OF LAW FIRM] 
   

   

 

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 25

APPENDIX D

RRB FORM G‐177c
      

26 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities

 APPENDIX D 

RRB FORM G‐177c‐‐Continued
   

      

     

ATTORNEY’S GUIDE
 27

APPENDIX E

AGREEMENT OF SPOUSE
 

OR FORMER SPOUSE
 

Railroad Employee: _______________________ 

Railroad Employee’s S.S.A. No.: XXX-XX-1234 

I, ______________________, social security number _________________, 

hereby claim the interest awarded to me in benefits payable to the above 

former railroad employee under the Railroad Retirement Act pursuant to 

the court document entered on [DATE], in the case entitled 

_______________________________. 

I acknowledge that any payments to me pursuant to this claim are 

disbursements from the Treasury of the United States, and I agree to 

repay any erroneous payment made to me by the Railroad Retirement 

Board (RRB) pursuant to this agreement. I further acknowledge that no 

condition in the order or under relevant state law that requires 

termination of the payments made to me by the RRB pursuant to the 

order has occurred, and agree to inform the RRB if any such condition 

occurs in the future. 

Signed: 

Address: 

Date: 

NOTE: THE RRB WILL CONTACT YOU REGARDING PAYMENTS UNDER THE 

ORDER AT THE ADDRESS SHOWN ABOVE UNLESS A MORE RECENT 

ADDRESS APPEARS IN THE RECORDS MAINTAINED BY THE RRB UNDER 

THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OF THE ABOVE-NAMED RAILROAD 

EMPLOYEE. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THE TIME YOU 

ATTAIN AGE 62, YOU SHOULD CONTACT THE RRB. 

Complete and return the form to: 

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board 

Office of General Counsel 

844 North Rush Street 

Chicago, IL 60611-1275
 
28 ATTORNEY’S GUIDE to the Partition of Railroad Retire ment Annuities

NOTES: 
U. S. Railroad Retirement Board
 

Office of General Counsel 

844 North Rush Street 

Chicago, IL 60611-1275
 

Phone: (312) 751-4948 

Fax: (312) 751-7102 

E-mail: LAW@rrb.gov
 

www.rrb.gov