Finish the paperwork your divorce decree left behind
Every account, deed, title, policy, beneficiary designation and legal name matches the decree — and the QDRO is confirmed qualified in writing by the plan administrator, not merely entered by the court.
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Included with every copy
- Your own copy — keep it forever
- Gets better over time — free updates included
- Run it on web and mobile
- Invite a partner to go through it with you — you share the same progress
- 3 knowledge checks to test what you've learned
- The playbook's community — ask questions, get additions, and see how other buyers improve it, right on the step
Who it's for
Newly divorced people in the U.S. holding a signed decree and a stack of undone administrative changes. Especially for those who changed their name during the divorce and need the correct chain of government and financial updates, and for anyone whose decree orders a retirement-account division.
About this playbook
Every divorce decree creates a to-do list that outlasts the courtroom: change your name with the right agencies in the right order, split retirement accounts with a QDRO the plan administrator actually approves, update every beneficiary designation before the next statement prints, record the quitclaim deed, and reset your tax withholding before the filing deadline. This guide walks you through each obligation in the sequence that prevents rework — Social Security first because it gates everything else, the QDRO anchored to the plan’s own model order, and a beneficiary sweep that covers every 401(k), IRA, HSA and life policy. It does not cover custody arrangements, spousal-support calculations, or anything that requires reopening the decree — only executing what the decree already says.
What you'll do, step by step
Free preview — these steps are open to read in full before you buy.
Phase 1: Inventory your decree and assemble your documents
0/3Map every obligation in the decree to the account or institution responsible, collect the current paperwork for each, and order the certified copies you will need to attach to every request.
- 1 hour
- 1 hour 30 min
- 15 min
Phase 2: Change your legal name in the correct chain
0/4Update your legal name with the Social Security Administration first — it is the gatekeeper for every other agency — then your driver’s license, passport (if needed), and finally every financial and service account so your new name is uniform everywhere.
- 45 min
Phase 3: Divide retirement accounts via QDRO
5 stepsPhase 4: Sweep every beneficiary designation
4 stepsPhase 5: Transfer real property and titled assets
4 stepsPhase 6: Reset your tax filing status and withholding
3 stepsDetails
What you need first
A signed, final divorce decree; a list of all retirement accounts, insurance policies, bank accounts, and real property held during the marriage; your current Social Security card and driver’s license; the contact information for each plan administrator, financial institution, and insurance carrier; and a willingness to make phone calls and wait for processing times.
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About the creator
I cover contracts, rights and everyday legal situations. My playbooks say plainly what to do first and where the time goes.
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