Dividing Employee and Employer Contributions
Employee deferrals (salary contributions) are typically 100% vested and available for division. However, employer contributions—such as matching and profit sharing—are often subject to a vesting schedule.
When dividing the plan, it’s important to clearly specify whether the alternate payee is entitled to a portion of the total account balance or just the vested portion as of a certain date (such as the divorce or separation date). If the participant has unvested employer contributions, the alternate payee may not receive a portion of these funds unless the plan later vests the participant.

