September 2026

Your retirement account may be the largest asset you and your spouse own, and a divorce puts it on the table. For many people in Ohio, the 401(k), pension, or IRA built over a career holds years of work and the whole plan for life after it. Learning that a spouse can claim a share raises urgent questions: how much do they get, what taxes apply, and is the pension earned through the State of Ohio at risk? Here is the reassuring part. Ohio law does not hand half of everything to the other side. Only the portion tied to your marriage is divided; the method for calculating it is set by statute, and the correct court order lets you split these accounts without triggering taxes or early withdrawal penalties. […]