Division of Contributions
In a typical 401(k), there are two major contribution types: employee contributions (money the participant put in) and employer contributions (company matches or profit sharing). Your QDRO should specify whether the alternate payee (usually the non-employee ex-spouse) receives a share of both and whether that share is calculated as of a specific date (e.g., date of divorce or separation).
If you want to divide the account cleanly, a percentage or fixed-dollar amount as of a historical valuation date is often used. It’s vital to understand what kinds of contributions are subject to division and whether everything is fully vested at that date.

