Introduction
If you’re going through a divorce and either you or your spouse has savings in the The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan, you’ll likely need a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO). This legal document ensures that retirement savings can be properly divided without triggering taxes or penalties. At PeacockQDROs, we’ve seen firsthand how these orders can protect your financial future when written and executed accurately—and how easy it is to make expensive mistakes if they aren’t.
What Is a QDRO?
A QDRO is a court order that tells the retirement plan administrator how to divide a participant’s benefits as part of a divorce. It allows the plan to legally transfer a portion of the funds to an alternate payee, usually a former spouse, without any immediate tax consequences. Without a QDRO, those transferred funds are likely to be taxed and penalized, or worse, remain inaccessible entirely.
Plan-Specific Details for the The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan
Before preparing a QDRO, it’s essential to know the specifics of the retirement plan in question. Here’s what we know about the The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan:
- Plan Name: The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan
- Sponsor: The ronin project Inc.. c/o lawrence investments, LLC
- Plan Type: 401(k) Plan
- Industry: General Business
- Organization Type: Corporation
- Plan Address: 101 YGNACIO VALLEY ROAD
- Plan Number: Unknown (must be obtained for QDRO)
- Employer Identification Number (EIN): Unknown (must be obtained for QDRO)
- Effective Date: Unknown
- Plan Year: Unknown to Unknown
- Status: Active
- Participants: Unknown
- Assets: Unknown
This is an active 401(k) plan sponsored by a corporation in the general business sector, suggesting that it follows standard features typical of corporate plans. However, because some key details aren’t publicly available, your QDRO attorney will need to contact the plan administrator directly to obtain missing plan information.
Dividing Employer and Employee Contributions
In a 401(k) plan like the The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan, contributions come from both the employee and the employer. The QDRO must clearly state which of these contributions are to be divided and how.
Employee Contributions
Employee contributions are always 100% vested and available for division. These will usually include pre-tax contributions and possibly after-tax Roth contributions, which we’ll address further below.
Employer Contributions and Vesting
Employer contributions are often subject to a vesting schedule. This means that part of what the company has contributed may not yet be fully “owned” by the participant. In the case of the The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan, your attorney will need to confirm the plan’s specific vesting schedule directly with the plan administrator.
If your spouse is only partially vested in the employer match, the QDRO should only divide the vested portion. It’s a serious mistake to assume the entire account balance is divisible—you could end up ordering a division of funds that don’t legally belong to the participant yet, which will be rejected by the plan.
Handling Loan Balances and Repayments
If the participant has taken a loan from their The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan account, it’s important to identify this balance in the QDRO process. Loans reduce the available account balance and can complicate account divisions.
- If the QDRO divides the “total account balance,” it usually includes the outstanding loan amount as part of the participant’s share.
- An alternate payee can’t be assigned a portion of a loan—that debt stays with the plan participant, not the ex-spouse.
- Quick tip: The QDRO should state whether the division is based on “with or without” the loan amount so there’s no misunderstanding or dispute.
Roth vs. Traditional 401(k) Subaccounts
Most modern 401(k) plans offer both traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) accounts. The The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan may contain either or both.
When dividing plan assets, these accounts must be handled separately. A Roth 401(k) account carries very different tax implications than a traditional one. The QDRO must state whether the alternate payee receives assets from just the traditional portion, the Roth portion, or proportionally from both. Failing to be specific will create headaches later.
Timing and Valuation Date Considerations
In a volatile market, the timing of the division matters. Will the account be divided as of the date of separation? The date of divorce? Or the date the QDRO is approved?
For The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan, you’ll need to agree with your former spouse—possibly with guidance from the courts and the plan administrator—on the correct valuation date. Your attorney should also include instructions for gains and losses, to ensure the amount awarded stays accurate even if the market shifts.
What Documents Do You Need?
To properly draft a QDRO for the The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan, we recommend starting with these items:
- Participant and alternate payee’s full legal names
- Participant’s employment history with The ronin project Inc.. c/o lawrence investments, LLC
- Plan Number and EIN (will need to be obtained from the plan sponsor or administrator)
- Most recent account statement
- Details about loans, vesting, and account types (Roth vs. traditional)
Need help figuring it out? Contact us—we’ll gather this documentation for you as part of our full-service process.
Why Work With PeacockQDROs?
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. We know how to avoid the common mistakes that cause delays and denials—and we can help you minimize the time it takes by considering these five key QDRO timing factors.
Final Thoughts
The The Ronin Project 401(k) Plan carries the complexities common to corporate general business plans—employer matches, vesting rules, possible loans, and Roth elements. A QDRO must take all of these into account or risk significant financial and legal issues post-divorce.
The best way to protect your retirement rights and ensure your divorce agreement is honored is to get help from experts who know 401(k) QDROs inside and out. That’s exactly what we do every day at PeacockQDROs.
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 The Ronin Project 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.