Employee vs. Employer Contributions
When a participant in the Sunset Community Health Center, Inc.. 403(b) Plan contributes from their paycheck, those funds are 100% theirs and fully vested. Employer contributions, however, may be subject to a vesting schedule. For example, the plan may require 3 to 5 years of service to fully “own” the employer’s matching funds.
What happens if the marriage ends before full vesting? The alternate payee can only receive the portion of funds that are vested on the date the QDRO is processed—or another specified date. If employer contributions later become vested, a “shared interest” QDRO may provide for automatic proportional distribution of those amounts, but that must be written into the order.

