Employee vs. Employer Contributions
In 401(k) plans, both the employee (plan participant) and the employer may make contributions. A critical detail is that employer contributions often have a vesting schedule. That means some of the balance may not “belong” to the employee until they’ve worked for the company long enough.
If a QDRO splits the account but doesn’t address this, you could end up with a smaller amount than expected. A good QDRO specifies whether the alternate payee will receive only the vested portion or also a share of any non-vested employer contributions as they vest later.

