Rights of current and other former spouses after termination of a former spouse's entitlement.
5 C.F.R. § 838.733
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) If a former spouse of a retiree loses entitlement to a former spouse survivor annuity based on a court order acceptable for processing while the retiree is living and—
(1) If court orders acceptable for processing award former spouse survivor annuities to other former spouses, OPM will continue the reduction to comply with court orders in the order specified in § 838.135;
(2) If paragraph (a)(1) of this section does not obligate the entire entitlement lost by he former spouse, OPM will continue the reduction to provide a current spouse survivor annuity or a former spouse survivor annuity based on a timely-filed election under § 831.611, § 831.612, § 831.631, § 831.632, § 842.603, § 842.604, § 842.611, or § 842.612 of this chapter; or
(3) If paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section do not obligate the entire entitlement lost by the former spouse, the retiree (except a retiree under CSRS who retired before May 7, 1985 and who remarried before February 27, 1986) may elect within 2 years after the former spouse loses entitlement to continue the reduction to provide a survivor annuity for a spouse acquired after retirement.
(b)(1) If a former spouse of an employee or retiree loses entitlement to a former spouse survivor annuity based on a court order acceptable for processing after the death of the employee or retiree and—
(i) If court orders acceptable for processing award former spouse survivor annuities to other former spouses, OPM will pay the next entitled former spouse in the order specified in § 838.135; or
(ii) If paragraph (b)(1) of this section does not obligate the entire entitlement lost by the former spouse, OPM will pay the balance to a current spouse of the deceased—
(A) Retiree who had elected a reduced annuity to provide a current spouse annuity (as defined in § 831.603 or § 842.602); or
(B) Employee.
(2) Except as provided in § 838.734—
(i) The former spouse survivor annuity based on paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section begins to accrue in accordance with the terms of the court order but no earlier than the later of—
(A) The first day of the month in which the former spouse with the earlier-issued court order loses entitlement; or
(B) The first day of the second month after OPM receives a copy of the court order acceptable for processing; or
(ii) The current spouse annuity under paragraph (b)(1) (ii) of this section begins to accrue on the first day of the month in which the former spouse loses entitlement.
(c) OPM will not authorize payment of the former spouse survivor annuity until it receives an application and supporting documentation required under § 838.721.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-5.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026