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THE QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER (QDRO) OBTAINED BY STIPULATION OF SETTLEMENT MUST BE ENFORCED AS WRITTEN, BECAUSE NO PROVISION WAS MADE FOR GAINS OR LOSSES AFTER THE DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS COMMENCED, SUPREME COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE TRANSFERRED THE AGREED AMOUNT PLUS THE GAINS THAT HAD ACCRUED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) obtained pursuant to a stipulation of settlement must be enforced as written. Because the stipulation made no provision for the transfer of gains which accrued after the divorce action started, Supreme Court erred by transferring the agreed amount plus the gains:

“A QDRO obtained pursuant to a [stipulation of settlement] can convey only those rights which the parties [agreed to] as a basis for the judgment’ ” … . Thus, “a court errs in granting a domestic relations order encompassing rights not provided in the underlying stipulation” … . A stipulation of settlement that is incorporated, but not merged, into the judgment of divorce ” is a contract subject to the principles of contract construction and interpretation’ ” … . If the stipulation of settlement is ” complete, clear, and unambiguous on its face[, it] must be enforced according to the plain meaning of its terms’ ” … . Here, the stipulation of settlement clearly and unambiguously made no provision for plaintiff to receive gains or losses on the amount that the stipulation of settlement specified would be transferred to her. Thus, plaintiff is not entitled to any gains on that amount that accrued after the divorce action commenced … . Reber v Reber, 2019 NY Slip Op 04557, Fourth Dept 6-7-19

 

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