1. Employer Contributions and Vesting
Profit sharing plans often have a vesting schedule for employer contributions. That means the participant may not be entitled to keep 100% of the employer funds unless they’ve worked there for a certain number of years. When writing a QDRO for the Shipton’s Big R, Inc.. Montana Profit Sharing Plan, you need to clearly state whether the alternate payee (usually the ex-spouse) is entitled to a share of:
- Only vested amounts as of the date of separation
- Unvested amounts if they become vested later
This can have a big financial impact. A poorly worded QDRO could give the alternate payee more—or less—than intended.

