Part of the divorce process includes the distribution of property, often the marital assets. Some marital assets can include perks from you job. Retirement benefits, for example, can be affected, because they are considered marital property by the court, and can therefore be divided between you and your former partner. Because of the marriage, the ex spouse now has entitlement to a portion of your pension, and he/she can become the beneficiary of any pre-retirement death benefit. In addition, your former partner may also be entitled to a percentage of any Cost-of-Living Adjustment you may receive. Whatever the courts decide, it will be stated in legal document known as a Domestic Relations Order, DRO, and will have specific orders on how certain benefits should be divided.