Employee vs. Employer Contributions
Typically, employees contribute a set percentage of their salary to the 401(k) pre-tax or post-tax (Roth). Employers then may contribute through matching or profit-sharing formulas. The QDRO must clearly state whether the alternate payee is receiving a portion of:
- Just the employee’s contributions
- Just the employer’s contributions
- Both employee and employer contributions
It’s common practice to split “all contributions and earnings” accrued during the marriage. However, if employer contributions are subject to a vesting schedule, the alternate payee may only get access to the portion that was vested at the date of divorce or QDRO execution.

