Judicial Officer Retirement

Planning for the Future

Understanding and knowing your retirement benefit options is helpful in planning for your future after you have retired from a career with the State of Utah. Eligible employees can start investing and planning for retirement when they begin working for the state.

Our justices and judges are members of the Tier I Retirement System.

Online Access: Eligible state employees may access the Utah Retirement Systems (URS) website to view information related to retirement accounts, update beneficiary information, make changes to contributions, and update their personal information. To learn how to create a myURS account, watch this quick tutorial.

Insurance Benefits Upon Retirement

For each year of full-time employment that a judicial officer uses less than four days of sick leave in a calendar year, the judicial officer will be eligible for and accumulate eight months of paid-up health insurance at the time of retirement. (Rule 3-501)

When a judicial officer retires before age 65, the paid-up health insurance will consist of medical, dental, and basic term-life insurance benefits at the time of retirement. The judicial officer will be responsible for continuing to pay their share of premiums, and the State will continue to cover their share of premiums. Upon age 65, coverage will convert to the PEHP Medicare Supplement Plan, and all other State-paid benefits will end (dental and life insurance). Once the judicial officer reaches age 65, they must enroll in Medicare Parts A & B. The judicial officer may purchase up to 18 months of dental coverage through PEHP if they wish to extend their dental coverage past age 65. Benefits for dependents, other than a spouse, of the judicial officer terminate when the judicial officer reaches age 65 or the dependent reaches age 26, whichever is earlier.

When a judicial officer retires on or after age 65, the paid-up health insurance will be in the form of the PEHP Medicare Supplement Plan. The PEHP Medicare Supplement Plan provides medical and pharmacy coverage but does not cover dental or vision insurance. The State only covers the full premium for medical and pharmacy coverage. Dental and vision coverage shall be paid by the judicial officer should they wish to enroll.

The PEHP Medicare Supplement Plan works in conjunction with Medicare.

Judges Retirement System Highlights

Post-Retirement Benefits & Medicare Information

Retirement can be exciting and confusing all at the same time.

The Courts' Human Resources Department processes retirements for all Court employees. Employees may contact the HR Department at any time to explore retirement. It is recommended that you contact the Courts' Retirement Specialist, Sarah Osmund, and Utah Retirement Systems at least three months before your desired retirement date to ensure proper processing.

Contact Sarah Osmund to discuss retirement eligibility and retiree benefits.
Contact Amy Norris with Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7492 to schedule an appointment to discuss your eligibility and your monthly retirement payment.
Contact PEHP within 30 days of your retirement date to request and complete medical, dental, and life insurance enrollment forms. Members with last names beginning A-K must contact Ginger Weathersby at (801) 366-7548 or ginger.weathersby@pehp.org. Members with last names beginning L-Z must contact Wendie Trujillo at (801) 366-7325 or wendie.trujillo@pehp.org. Medicare processing may take several months.
Send written notification to the Utah State Governor six months before your retirement date. Notify the AOC, HR (Sarah Osmund), your presiding judge, and your Court Executive.

Note: URS allows for two retirement dates each month: the 1st and the 16th. The employee must choose a retirement date and the date of their last work day. An employee's retirement date and last work day cannot be the same.

Additional Resources
Preparing to Retire

Tier I Judges Retirement System Highlights

Steps to Retirement Checklist

2024-25 Early Retiree Benefits Guide

2024-25 Early Retirement Rates with Sick Leave Hours

Continuing Benefits After Retirement
Utah Retirement Systems Publications

URS Contribution Rates

Are you planning to retire within the next six months, and do you have a Health Savings Account (HSA)?

When you enroll in Medicare, you can still have a health savings account to pay for eligible medical expenses; however, you're no longer eligible to make or receive contributions. If your spouse is still working and enrolled in a high-deductive health plan through their employer, they can continue contributing to an HSA account up to the IRS annual limits.

If you're working beyond age 65, you must stop all HSA contributions (employee + employer) six months before you plan on enrolling in Medicare or face tax penalties. The reason for this is you can't contribute to an HSA when covered by Medicare, and Medicare gives you retroactive coverage for premium-free Part A back six months from when you enroll.

The employee must contact the PEHP FLEX Department at (801) 366-7503 to inform them that they are getting ready to retire and must stop the employer contributions and their own contributions to the HSA account.

The penalty is heavy, and it is a lifetime penalty. There is no way to avoid it if they do not stop the contributions.

Judges Retirement Checklist

Judicial Officer Retirement Checklist

This checklist is a step-by-step guide to assist you through the retirement process.

Memo - Senior Judge Status.pdf

Senior Judge Memo

If you're interested in becoming a senior judge, please review this memo.

URS Seminars & Webinars

Seminars
Attend free URS seminars (in-person and virtual) tailored to your retirement horizon.

Webinars
The URS experts host virtual webinars on different retirement related topics. Reserve your place and learn more.

One-on-One Financial planning sessions
URS offers individual financial planning and customized advice to help you plan for a better future. Choose a retirement planning session to make the best use of retirement plans such as a pension, 401(k), or an IRA. To register, log in to your myURS account and click on the Education Tab to register for your Individual Retirement Planning Session.