Employee vs. Employer Contributions
This plan likely includes both employee contributions (your own salary deferrals) and employer contributions (company matches or profit-sharing amounts). QDROs should specify if the alternate payee is receiving a portion of:
- All contributions (employee and employer)
- Only employee salary deferrals
- Only amounts that are vested as of the date of division
Employer contributions like matching funds often come with vesting schedules, which require an employee to work a certain number of years before the funds become nonforfeitable. We’ll address how that affects your QDRO below.

