Vesting Schedules and Forfeitures
Before finalizing the QDRO, it’s important to know which portion of the employer contributions are vested. If the participant isn’t fully vested in their employer match at the time of divorce, only the vested portion can be awarded to the alternate payee. The non-vested portion may be forfeited if the employee doesn’t meet service requirements.
This is especially important for plans like the Mcgough Companies 401(k) Plan and Trust, where the vesting schedule may follow industry standards such as 5-year cliff or graded vesting (e.g., 20% per year over 5 years).

