Employee vs. Employer Contributions
Employee salary deferrals are generally 100% vested, meaning they belong to the employee from day one. But employer contributions—especially matching or profit sharing—often come with a vesting schedule.
If the participant spouse hasn’t met the vesting requirements (usually based on years of service), some of those employer contributions may not be available for division. Your QDRO must address this, otherwise the alternate payee might expect money that legally doesn’t exist.

