Dividing the Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan in Divorce
When going through a divorce involving retirement assets, one of the most important steps is obtaining a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO). If you or your spouse participated in the Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan, it’s vital to understand how this specific plan is divided during divorce. At PeacockQDROs, we bring deep experience in managing complex 401(k) divisions—including the unique provisions of employer-sponsored plans like this one.
Plan-Specific Details for the Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan
Here’s what we know about the plan:
- Plan Name: Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan
- Sponsor: Johns manville corporation
- Address: 717 17TH STREET
- Plan Year: 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31
- Original Effective Date: 1972-08-01
- Industry: General Business
- Organization Type: Business Entity
- Status: Active
- Plan Number and EIN: Required for QDRO processing but currently unknown
Even though some details like EIN and plan number aren’t published, they are still essential for completing any QDRO. A qualified QDRO professional like PeacockQDROs can help you track this information down directly from the plan administrator.
What is a QDRO and Why Do You Need One?
A Qualified Domestic Relations Order is a court order that gives an alternate payee—typically a former spouse or partner—the legal right to receive their share of retirement benefits. Without a QDRO, a 401(k) plan like the Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan cannot legally release funds to anyone other than the account holder.
It’s not just about filing paperwork. A proper QDRO must comply with federal law, state divorce orders, and the specific requirements of Johns manville corporation’s retirement plan. Mistakes in any of these areas can delay benefits or lead to costly do-overs.
Understanding the Plan Type: 401(k) Division Challenges
The Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan is a defined contribution plan. Unlike pensions that pay a monthly income, a defined contribution plan like this one contains an actual account balance that may include:
- Employee salary deferrals (pre-tax or Roth)
- Employer matching or discretionary contributions
- Investment gains and losses
- Outstanding loan balances
Each of these components can affect how the account is divided in a QDRO. Let’s go through each piece.
Employee vs. Employer Contributions
It’s common for divorcing spouses to agree to divide only what’s “marital property”—usually, what was deposited during the marriage. But employer contributions can complicate this. Some amounts may not be fully vested, especially if the participant hasn’t worked with Johns manville corporation long enough.
If the employer contributions are not yet vested, they may not be payable to the alternate payee. Johns manville corporation’s vesting schedule will dictate what’s available. A solid QDRO accounts for these rules and may even include language that allows for reallocation if currently unvested contributions become vested later.
Loan Balances Can Impact Value
If the participant has ever borrowed from their Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan, it directly affects the account value. For example, if the balance shows $100,000 but there’s a $20,000 loan, only $80,000 is truly available for division.
Once again, a QDRO must specify whether the loan balance is excluded from the alternate payee’s share—or if the order should divide the balance before subtracting loans. This choice affects both parties significantly and should be clearly spelled out.
Traditional vs. Roth Subaccounts
The Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan could include both traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) contributions. A QDRO must state how to divide these accounts.
For example, if the participant has $60,000 in a traditional account and $40,000 in a Roth, and the order says the alternate payee gets 50%, the question becomes: 50% of each account, or 50% of the total? Your QDRO must be explicit to prevent delays or misallocations.
Valuation Date: A Crucial QDRO Detail
One of the first choices you’ll need to make is the division date. Most couples choose the date of divorce or separation. But whatever date is selected, it determines how much the alternate payee will receive—based on that day’s account value, including investment gains or losses after that date.
401(k) account values change daily. That’s why choosing—and stating—a clear valuation date is essential in your QDRO.
Common Errors to Avoid with 401(k) QDROs
Over the years, we’ve seen how improper QDROs can create enormous problems. At PeacockQDROs, we’ve completed thousands of QDROs and developed a detailed understanding of what to avoid:
- Leaving out language about unvested employer contributions
- Forgetting to deal with loan balances
- Failing to separate Roth and traditional accounts
- Being unclear about earnings and losses after the division date
We wrote about more common mistakes on this page. If your QDRO is missing key language, it may be rejected by the plan or lead to unfair results.
How PeacockQDROs Makes It Easy
At PeacockQDROs, we’ve completed thousands of QDROs from start to finish. That means we don’t just draft the order and leave you to figure out the rest. We handle the drafting, preapproval (if applicable), court filing, submission, and follow-up with the plan administrator. That’s what sets us apart from firms that only prepare the document and hand it off to you.
We maintain near-perfect reviews and pride ourselves on a track record of doing things the right way. If your divorce involves the Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan, we already understand the key issues that need to be addressed and can help you complete the process correctly and on time.
Learn more about our services on our QDRO services page.
How Long Does a QDRO Take?
Not all QDROs are created equal when it comes to timing. Some factors—such as whether the plan requires preapproval, the local court’s processing speed, and response time from the plan administrator—can significantly affect timing. We break it down on our article: 5 Factors That Determine How Long It Takes to Get a QDRO Done.
Conclusion
Dividing a 401(k) like the Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan in divorce requires more than a simple split. The right QDRO must address employer contributions, vesting schedules, loans, Roth vs. traditional accounts, valuation dates, and plan-specific compliance requirements.
Whether you’re the participant or alternate payee, an accurate and enforceable QDRO ensures both sides receive what they are owed—without delays or miscommunications. If you need help, work with an experienced QDRO firm that understands the complexities of plans like the one offered by Johns manville corporation.
If your divorce was in California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, or North Dakota, and you have questions about qualified domestic relations orders or dividing retirement assets like the Johns Manville Employees 401(k) Plan, contact PeacockQDROs. We specialize in QDROs and have successfully processed thousands of orders from start to finish.
Get the answers you need—explore our QDRO resources or reach out for personalized help if you’re in one of our service states.