1. Employee and Employer Contribution Divisions
Most 401(k) accounts include two streams of contributions: those made by the employee (from their paycheck) and those made by the employer (matching or discretionary contributions). A QDRO can divide both types, but the key here is whether the employer-matched dollars have “vested.” If not, the alternate payee (usually the former spouse) has no right to them.
In practice, this means we often need to spell out in the QDRO that only the vested portion of the employer contributions as of the separation or division date will be divided. If you’re dividing the plan using a coverture fraction or a specific dollar amount, that distinction becomes important to avoid misunderstanding later.

