Employee & Employer Contributions
A 401(k) plan like this one typically includes both employee deferrals and optional employer contributions. Your QDRO should be specific about whether the alternate payee is receiving:
- Only the employee’s contributions
- Both employee and employer contributions
- Only vested portions
The employer contributions are often subject to a vesting schedule, meaning some of those funds may be forfeited if the employee spouse hasn’t been working there long enough. Your divorce agreement should address how to handle these “unvested” funds and whether a later reassignment will be allowed as more of the account vests.

