Apportioning Retirement Benefits to Former Spouses of Federal Employees

In an examination of the economic protection provided to widows or widowers and divorced spouses of Federal employees, GAO evaluated the equity of the current law, its administration by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and some possible alternative methods of providing retirement income to former spouses. The law requires OPM to comply with State court orders or decrees that divide civil service retirement benefits in divorce actions.