Members - Changing Your Marital Status

your new spouse is entitled to a 60% survivor pension for his or her lifetime
the survivor pension is increased for inflation every January
insured benefits in retirement apply to your spouse if you qualify for this provision

Contact OPTrust if your marital relationship breakdown occurred before January 1, 2012

pensions are considered a family asset and subject to Family Law rules regarding division of assets
Division of assets
Only possible option is to transfer lump sum amount from your OPTrust pension to your former spouse’s locked-in retirement account or pension plan
- pension law limits the amount payable to a former spouse up to a maximum of 50% of the pension you earned during your spousal relationship
for separation agreements, domestic contracts and court orders dated after January 1, 2012 OPTrust provides the valuation of your pension at no cost to you
OPTrust will provide you and your former spouse with the valuation amount and the maximum amount payable to your former spouse

Marriage

send OPTrust a copy of your:
- marriage certificate and Statement of Marital Status form
- spouse’s birth certificate
notify OPTrust of if you are changing your surname
update your beneficiaries

Common-law

designate your common-law spouse as both your spouse and your beneficiary in the Pension Beneficiaries form
- Watch the video
send OPTrust:
- Statement of Marital Status form and proof of a three-year continuous common-law relationship
- copy of your spouse’s birth certificate
- update your beneficiaries

complete the Family Law forms (see the FORMS section)
review your beneficiary information and update it as necessary, using the Pension Beneficiaries form
- Watch the video

Have you thought about who receives benefits when you die? Make sure to keep your beneficiary information current.
If you have minor children, have you set up a trust? For more information see the Office of the Children's Lawyer website.

any life changes – marriage, new common-law spouse, separation, divorce, death, new beneficiaries
changes to contact information – address, phone number, e-mail address

PART 1: The application process

Member completes these forms:

PART 2: Determining the value – within 60 days OPTrust determines value sends both parties a copy of Statement of Family Law Value

PART 3: Decision re division of pension

Jointly completed by member and ex-spouse

if no division, complete No Division of Family Law Value/Pension Assets or provide a certified copy of your court order or separation agreement stating the decision made regarding the division of the pension
Division of pension – ex-spouse to complete Application to Transfer the Family Law Value
applying to divide the pension - Family Law form 6
provide certified copy of your court order or separation agreement stating the decision made regarding the division of the pension
Pension Beneficiaries form
- Watch the video

Contact Person Authorization – FSCO Family Law form 3 (optional)
Division of pension – Application to Transfer the Family Law Value – to be completed by your former spouse