"Alternate payee" means a spouse or former spouse of a member, a former member who has vested benefit status, or retirant who is recognized by a domestic relations order as having a right to receive all or a portion of the benefits payable by the system with respect to that member, former member with vested benefit status, or retirant.
"Benefits payable with respect to a member, a former member with vested benefit status, or retirant" means any payment required to be made to a member, a former member with vested benefit status, or retirant.
"Domestic relations order" means a judgment, decree, or order, including approval of a property settlement agreement, that:
"Hawaii domestic relations order" means a domestic relations order that:
The filing fee in effect at the time that an order or proposed order is submitted shall be paid before the order or proposed order is processed or reviewed. In addition, the system shall charge for legal and actuarial services as provided by subsection (s).
Before any legal or actuarial services are performed, the system shall notify the person who requested the review of the order or proposed order that the services will be needed as part of the review. The notification shall include an estimate of the extent of the services and the estimated costs relating to those services. The charges for legal and actuarial services shall be paid before the system may issue notification of determination on an order or notification whether or not a proposed order meets the requirements for a Hawaii domestic relations order.
If a domestic relations order is submitted for review after it has been entered by the court and is thereafter amended with the intention that it shall be a Hawaii domestic relations order, the member, former member with vested benefit status, retirant, or the alternate payee shall submit a certified copy of the amended order to the system. The system shall review any amended order that it receives according to the same rules applicable to all other orders.
Payment of the alternate payee's interest under this subsection shall be effective as of the same date that benefit payments are effective for the member.
Payment according to the terms of the Hawaii domestic relations order under this subsection shall commence as of the first day of the month following the date upon which the order is determined to be qualified, unless the parties jointly direct that payment shall commence at a later date.
HRS § 88-93.5