In short
- Always include pensions when you sort out your finances. They can be worth more than the family home.[1]
- There's no automatic right to a share of your ex-partner's pension, and pensions don't have to be split equally.[1]
- Start by asking each pension provider for a valuation called a CETV. It can take up to 3 months.[1]
- A pension's CETV isn't the same as the same amount in cash, so the two can't simply be swapped pound for pound.[1]
- There are three main options: pension sharing, pension attachment (earmarking) and offsetting.[1]
- Whatever you agree needs to be approved by a court to be legally binding.[1]
Step 1: Find every pension
Make a list of every pension each of you has. That might include:
- workplace pensions from your current and past jobs
- personal pensions you've set up yourself
- your State Pension
If you've lost track of an old workplace or personal pension, GOV.UK's Find pension contact details service can give you the scheme's contact details. You need the name of the employer or provider. It won't tell you whether you have a pension or what it's worth. You can also call the Pension Tracing Service on 0800 731 0175.[2]
A pension based outside the UK can't be shared under a UK court order, but it can still be counted when working out a fair split.[1]
It can feel awkward to claim part of an ex-partner's pension. But a pension is a joint asset like anything else. You may not have paid into it directly, but you may have contributed in other ways, for example by doing more of the caring for the family or home.[1]
Step 2: Get a valuation (the CETV)
Ask each pension provider for a cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) for divorce. This is the provider's figure for what the pension is worth.[1]
- Ask early. It can take up to 3 months to arrive.[1]
- It has a shelf life. A court will usually accept a CETV for up to a year.[1]
- There may be a fee if you ask for more than one in 12 months, or if the pension is already paying out.[1]
While you wait, you can get a rough idea of a pension's value from your provider's online account or your recent pension statements.[1]
If you're considering pension sharing or attachment, you can fill in form P, the pension inquiry form, and send it to your pension providers to get the information you need.[1][3]
To help make sure pensions are valued fairly, you could pay for a pension on divorce expert (PODE) to write a detailed pension report.[1]
Why a CETV isn't like cash
£100,000 in a pension isn't the same as £100,000 in the bank. That's why comparing them is hard, and why our money picture tool keeps pensions separate.[1]
- Time: you might have to wait years before you can use the money in a pension. The normal minimum pension age is 55, rising to 57 from April 2028.[1]
- Tax: you'll usually pay income tax on the money you take from a pension, which reduces how much you get.[1]
- Different methods: pension schemes don't all calculate CETVs the same way, so two CETVs of the same size aren't necessarily worth the same.[1]
Your State Pension
The new State Pension usually can't be shared. But if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you may have Additional State Pension or a 'protected payment', and those can be shared.[1][4]
If a court orders it to be shared, the person receiving it gets an extra payment on top of their own State Pension, and the other person's State Pension goes down.[4]
You can ask for a State Pension valuation for divorce using form BR20.[5][1]
Step 3: Understand the three options
There are three ways to split pensions, and you can usually use more than one.[1]
| Option | How it works | Clean break? | Things to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pension sharing | A share of the pension is moved into a pension in the other person's own name, called a 'pension credit'.[1] | Yes[1] | MoneyHelper says the pension credit "is moved from one person's name to the other for a fee. This fee typically ranges from £0 to £4,250 – depending on the type of pension you have and whether you" either "leave it with the same pension provider – if their rules allow it" or "transfer it to a new provider". The person receiving the share can usually take up to 25% of it as a tax-free lump sum.[1] |
| Pension attachment (earmarking) | When the pension starts paying out, part of the income, lump sum or death benefits is paid to the ex-partner.[1] | No[1] | The person whose name it's in usually decides when it starts, and normally pays the income tax on both shares. There's no guarantee of any money: it typically ends if the ex-partner receiving it marries someone else, or if either of you dies (unless death benefits are included).[1] |
| Offsetting | The pensions stay as they are, and you divide other things differently. For example, one of you keeps a pension and the other keeps the home, if they're of similar value.[1] | The pension itself isn't split | It's hard to compare pension value with cash or property, because of the wait, tax and different ways of calculating CETVs.[1] |
Step 4: Make it legally binding
In England and Wales, a court needs to approve your agreement before it's legally binding. Without that, it usually can't be enforced if one of you doesn't stick to it.[1] If you agree, that's done with a consent order.[6]
If you're using pension sharing or attachment, check first that each pension provider is happy with your draft.[1]
Apply before your final order if you can. Applying after it may have financial consequences, particularly for pensions.[7] The order only takes effect after the final order.[7]
Once you've sent the provider everything it needs and paid any fees, it has 4 months to make the changes.[1]
Questions to ask each pension provider
- Can you send me a CETV for divorce, and how long will it take?
- Is there a fee for the valuation, or for carrying out a pension sharing order?
- What information will you need for form P?
- Is this pension already being paid to me?
Step 5: After it's done
Once your pension arrangements are in place, MoneyHelper suggests you:[1]
- look again at whether you're saving enough for retirement
- update the 'expression of wish' form for each pension, which tells the provider who you'd like to get any death benefits
- review your will
Other guides
- No-fault divorce and the timeline
- MIAMs and mediation
- Financial orders, clean breaks and consent orders
- Child maintenance
- What happens to the house
Who can actually advise you
Splitt gives general guidance, not advice. For advice on your own situation, these are the people to talk to:
- Pension on divorce expert (PODE)A specialist who can examine all your pensions, write a detailed report and recommend how to split them.[1]
- Family solicitorGives legal advice on your rights and options, and whether you're getting a fair deal. A solicitor can also ask a pension on divorce expert to look at your pensions.[1]
- Financial adviserGives financial advice, for example on your pensions and how a settlement affects your plans for the future.[1]
- Family mediatorHelps you both work through the decisions you need to make, without taking sides. A mediator can't give advice, but is usually much cheaper than legal advice.[1]
Free pensions and divorce appointment. MoneyHelper offers a free phone appointment of up to 60 minutes with a pensions specialist to talk through pensions on divorce or dissolution. It's impartial guidance, not advice.[8] Book through MoneyHelper.
Free, impartial help
- MoneyHelper: divorce and separation. Free, impartial money and pensions guidance, backed by government.
- GOV.UK: money and property when you divorce or separate. The official process, forms and fees.
- Citizens Advice: how to separate. Free, confidential advice online, by phone or in person.
- Advicenow: divorce and separation. Plain-English guides, especially if you're handling things without a lawyer.
- Family Mediation Council: what family mediation is. How family mediation works, from the body that sets standards for family mediators.
- Resolution: looking for help. Information from a national body of family justice professionals.
- GOV.UK: legal aid. Check whether you can get help with legal costs, including family mediation.
Find a mediator or family lawyer
- Family Mediation Council: find your local mediator. Search for a family mediator by postcode, including those qualified to sign court forms and those who do legal aid work.
- Resolution: find a law professional. Search Resolution's directory of family law professionals.
Directories run by professional bodies. We don't recommend or receive anything from any listed professional.
Sources
Last checked: 25 October 2026. We read every source below on that date. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you act.
- Split pensions in a divorce or dissolution, MoneyHelper. https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/pension-problems/split-pensions-in-a-divorce-or-dissolution
- Find pension contact details, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details
- Form P: pension inquiry form, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-p-pension-inquiry-form-information-needed-when-a-pension-sharing-order-or-pension-attachment-order-may-be-made
- The new State Pension: inheriting or increasing State Pension from a spouse or civil partner, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/inheriting-or-increasing-state-pension-from-a-spouse-or-civil-partner
- Application for a State Pension forecast on divorce or dissolution (BR20), GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-a-state-pension-forecast-on-divorce-or-dissolution-br20
- Money and property: if you agree (consent order), GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/money-property-when-relationship-ends/apply-for-consent-order
- Money and property: get the court to decide, GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/money-property-when-relationship-ends/get-court-to-decide
- Free pensions and divorce or dissolution appointment, MoneyHelper. https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/family-and-care/divorce-and-separation/divorce-dissolution-pensions-appointment