Employee vs. Employer Contributions
The participant’s salary deferrals (employee contributions) are always 100% vested. However, employer contributions—such as matching or profit-sharing—often follow a vesting schedule. Only the vested portion of these employer contributions can be allocated through a QDRO.
A good QDRO will specify whether the alternate payee (usually the non-participating spouse) will receive a portion of just the account balance at the time of division or also an interest in future appreciation or investment earnings of specific contributions.

