A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) is a federal court order to split retirement benefits pursuant to divorce, however, QDROs are not impartial documents. Divorcing parties need an advocate to ensure they get their full portion of assets without reductions from loans, distributions and cash conversions. The non-employee spouse needs an advocate to receive both the vested and non-vested portion of monthly benefits with inflation protection via a proper coverture formula and death protection in case the employee spouse dies before them. Sample documents provided by employers don't provide these protections.