22 CFR § 19.7-5 - Limitations.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t22/s19.7-5"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "22 CFR § 19.7-5 - Limitations."
title_number: 22
title_name: "Foreign Relations"
section_number: "19.7-5"
section_name: "Limitations."
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF STATE"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "PERSONNEL"
part_number: "19"
part_name: "BENEFITS FOR SPOUSES AND FORMER SPOUSES OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY SYSTEM"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "Secs. 206 and 801 of Foreign Service Act of 1980 (94 Stat. 2079, 2102); Sec. 4 of Act of May 26, 1949 (22 U.S.C. 2658)."
regulatory_source: "46 FR 12958, Feb. 19, 1981, unless otherwise noted. Redesignated at 46 FR 18970, Mar. 27, 1981."
cfr_part: "19"
---


# 19.7-5 Limitations.

(a) A spousal agreement may not provide for any payment from the Fund in excess of the amount otherwise authorized to be paid, or at a time not authorized by these regulations, or to a person other than a spouse or former spouse.

(b) A spousal agreement must be filed with the Department, Attention PER/ER/RET, and accepted by that office as in conformance with the Act and these regulations prior to the times specified in §§ 19.7-2 and 19.7-3. That office will provide advice to the parties on the validity of any proposed agreement and on proper format.

(c) A spousal agreement may apply only to payments from the Fund for periods after receipt of a valid agreement by the Department.

(d) Paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of §§ 19.6-9 and 19.6-10 apply to spousal agreements and payments made pursuant to spousal agreements to the same extent that they apply to court orders and court ordered payments.