Welcome to the ORS website for members of the Judge's Retirement System who are in the Defined Benefit plan.

We encourage you to and come back often for important information.

Our office will be closed on the following dates:

• January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• February 18 - Presidents' Day
• May 27 - Memorial Day
• July 4 - Independence Day

State office closings for holidays are regulated by the Michigan Department of Civil Service Regulation 5.08. Public Act 124 of 1865 is the Michigan law governing official state holidays.

Published January 3, 2013

The October 2012 issue of Connections, our semiannual retiree newsletter, is now available. Articles in this issue include:

• ORS no longer delivering pension payments through U.S. mail
  
• Michigan income tax rate changes
• Message from the director
• Tips to protect yourself from fraud
• Did you know?
• Ask an Expert
• When to Contact ORS

The March 2012 issue of Connections, our semiannual retiree newsletter, is now available. Articles in this issue include:

• Message From the Director

• Financial Summary for FY 2011

• Ask an Expert

• When to Contact ORS 

Published March 22, 2012

If a member of a public pension gets divorced, the court may order that a portion of their pension be paid to an alternate payee such as a former spouse or dependent child. For active or deferred members, this order is known as an Eligible Domestic Relations Order (EDRO). For retired members, it is known as a Domestic Relations Order (DRO). To make things easier for you and your attorney, ORS has developed downloadable, fillable forms to allow our members to create accurate and complete EDROs or DROs that can be administered under the retirement statutes:

Eligible Domestic Relations Order (EDRO) (R0259B) 
Eligible Domestic Relations Order: Background and Instructions (R0911X)

Domestic Relations Order (DRO) (R0323X)
Domestic Relations Order to Void the Survivor Option Only (R0914CGB)
Domestic Relations Orders: Background and Instructions (R0912X)

These are the preferred documents to file with the Office of Retirement Services. They are the fastest, most efficient way to complete your filing. Complete it online, save it, print it, then take the printed copy to the court for the judge's signature.

Published October 7, 2011