Election at time of retirement of a fully reduced annuity or a partially reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity.
5 C.F.R. § 831.612
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) An unmarried employee or Member retiring under CSRS may elect a fully reduced annuity or a partially reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity or annuities.
(b) A married employee or Member retiring under CSRS may elect a fully reduced annuity or a partially reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity or annuities instead of a fully reduced annuity to provide a current spouse annuity, if the current spouse consents to the election in accordance with § 831.614 or spousal consent is waived in accordance with § 831.618.
(c) An election under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section is void to the extent that it—
(1) Conflicts with a qualifying court order; or
(2) Would cause the total of current spouse annuities and former spouse annuities payable based on the employee's or Member's service to exceed 55 percent (or 50 percent if based on a separation before October 11, 1962) of the self-only annuity to which the employee or Member would be entitled.
(d) Any reduction in an annuity to provide a former spouse annuity will terminate on the first day of the month after the former spouse remarries before age 55 or dies, or the former spouse's eligibility for a former spouse annuity terminates under the terms of a qualifying court order, unless—
(1) The retiree elects, within 2 years after the former spouse's death or remarriage, to continue the reduction to provide or increase a former spouse annuity for another former spouse, or to provide or increase a current spouse annuity; or
(2) A qualifying court order requires the retiree to provide another former spouse annuity.
(e) The maximum rate of a former spouse annuity under this section or § 831.632 is 55 percent of the rate of the retiring employee's or Member's self-only annuity if the employee or Member is retiring based on a separation from a position under CSRS on or after October 11, 1962. The maximum rate of a former spouse annuity under this section or § 831.632 is 50 percent of the rate of the retiring employee's or Member's self-only annuity if the employee or Member is retiring based on a separation from a position covered under CSRS between September 30, 1956, and October 11, 1962.
(f)(1) The amount of the reduction to provide one or more former spouse annuities or a combination of a current spouse annuity and one or more former spouse annuities under this section equals 2
1/2 percent of the first $3600 of the total designated survivor base plus 10 percent of the portion of the total designated survivor base which exceeds $3600, if—
(i) The employee's or Member's separation on which the retirement is based was on or after October 11, 1962; or
(ii) The reduction is to provide a former spouse annuity (under § 831.632) for a former spouse from whom the employee or Member was divorced after retirement.
(2) The amount of the reduction to provide one or more former spouse annuities or a combination of a current spouse annuity and one or more former spouse annuities under this section for employees or Members whose retirement is based on separations before October 11, 1962, equals 2
1/2 percent of the first $2400 of the total designated survivor base plus 10 percent of the portion of the total designated survivor base which exceeds $2400.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-5.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026