1. Employee and Employer Contributions
One of the most overlooked items in QDROs for 401(k)s like the Legacy Parking Company LLC 401(k) Plan is the division of employer contributions. Many spouses focus only on the account balance but forget to clarify whether the division includes both employee (pre-tax or Roth salary deferrals) and employer (matching or discretionary) contributions.
Make sure your QDRO clearly states whether it includes:
- Only the account holder’s contributions
- Employer contributions that are fully vested
- Employer contributions that are not yet vested at the time of division
Keep in mind, unvested employer contributions may be forfeited if the employee leaves the company before vesting. The QDRO should address whether the alternate payee gets a share of newly vested amounts post-divorce.

