1. Splitting Employee and Employer Contributions
Most 401(k) plans include salary deferrals from the employee and matching or discretionary contributions from the employer. Your QDRO must clearly specify whether you’re dividing just the employee’s contributions, employer contributions, or both.
If you’re taking 50% of the balance accrued during the marriage, you’ll need to define the correct valuation date so calculations are consistent and fair. This is especially important if one party contributed significantly before or after the marriage period.

