Employee vs. Employer Contributions
In most 401(k)s, contributions come from both the employee and the employer. The QDRO must state whether the alternate payee is receiving:
- Just the employee’s contributions
- Both employee and employer contributions
- A flat dollar amount or percentage of the total balance
It may be possible that a portion of employer contributions are not yet vested. Those unvested funds need special language in the QDRO stating whether they are included if they vest later. Without this detail, disputes can arise down the line.

