What happens to your pension when you get divorced?

Throughout the stressful time of a divorce, it can be overwhelming to contend with the idea of sharing out personal finances.

However, as a lot of people rely on their pensions to provide for them in the future, it is useful to know what happens to pensions, that were formerly planned to be joint, in the event of a divorce.

Whilst some may think that retirement is a future worry, planning your finances for when you do retire is an important milestone to consider.

For those reaching the National Insurance lower earnings limit of £6,240 annually, they will be entitled to a state pension when they retire, which currently amounts to £185.15 per week.

However, many employers offer a private pension package to their employees, which married couples may be planning to share in the future.

In fact, according to the insurance company Aviva, almost eight per cent of divorcees do not have personal pension savings and were planning to rely on their partner’s pension to sustain them in the future.

For this reason, it comes as useful knowledge that divorcing couples are able to split their pension; however, 15 per cent of divorced individuals were unaware that their pension could be included when dividing assets, reveals Aviva.

Seeking the relevant financial advice to ensure all your assets, including pension funds, are considered at the time divorce is essential for planning for retirement and ensuring both parties are protected in the future.

Do you need support with keeping track of your personal finances? Contact our experts today.