2012 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 9 - Retirement Systems
Chapter 18 - QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDERS
Section 9-18-30 - Determination of whether domestic relations order is qualified domestic relations order; procedure; payment of benefits upon order; exclusion of retirement system from liability for making payments of benefits; liability of individual for costs and attorney's fees.

(A) The administrator of the retirement system or his designee has exclusive authority to determine whether or not a domestic relations order is a qualified domestic relations order. For purposes of this chapter only, the administrator of the retirement system or his designee is considered a single hearing officer within the meaning of Section 1-23-600(B) and, as such, appeals from their determination are to the Administrative Law Judge Division under its applicable procedures.

(B) The administrator of the retirement system or his designee upon receipt of a certified copy of a domestic relations order, shall determine whether the order is a qualified domestic relations order and shall notify the member or retired member and the alternate payee of the determination. If the order is determined to be a qualified domestic relations order, the retirement system shall pay benefits in accordance with the order. If the order is determined not to be a qualified domestic relations order, the member or retired member or alternate payee named in the order may appeal the administrator's determination in the manner specified in subsection (A) of this section and may petition the court which issued the order to amend the order so that it will be qualified. The court which issued the order or which would otherwise have jurisdiction over the matter has jurisdiction to amend the order so that it will be qualified even though all other matters incident to the action or proceeding have been fully and finally adjudicated.

(C) During any period in which the issue of whether or not a domestic relations order is a qualified domestic relations order is being determined by the administrator, his designee, a court of competent jurisdiction, or the retirement system, the retirement system shall separately account for the amounts which would have been payable to the alternate payee during the period if the order had been determined to be a qualified domestic relations order. These separately accounted amounts are "segregated amounts" for purposes of this section.

(D) If a domestic relations order is determined to be a qualified domestic relations order, then the retirement system shall pay the segregated amounts without interest to the person or persons entitled thereto and shall thereafter pay benefits pursuant to the order.

(E) If a domestic relations order is determined not to be a qualified domestic relations order or if within eighteen months of the date a domestic relations order is received by the retirement system the issue as to whether the order is a qualified domestic relations order is not resolved, then the retirement system shall pay the segregated amounts without interest to the person or persons who would have been entitled to the amounts if there had been no order. This subsection must not be construed to limit or otherwise affect any liability, responsibility, or duty of a party with respect to any other party to the action out of which the order arose.

(F) Any determination that an order is a qualified domestic relations order which is made after the close of the eighteen-month period must be applied prospectively only.

(G) The retirement systems, the board, and officers and employees of each retirement system are not liable to any person for making payments of any benefits in accordance with a qualified domestic relations order in a cause in which a member or a retired member was a party or for making payments in accordance with subsections (D) and (E) of this section.

(H) A court does not have jurisdiction over a retirement system with respect to a divorce or other domestic relations action in which an alternate payee's right to receive all or a portion of the benefits payable to a member or retired member under the retirement system is created or established. A party to such an action who attempts to make the retirement system a party to the action contrary to the provision of this subsection is liable to the retirement system for its costs and attorney's fees.

HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 38, Section 1, eff July 1, 1995 (became law without the Governor's signature on April 27, 1995).