ARTICLE
13 May 2026

Henry Hood Discusses The Unique Challenge Of Pensions In Divorce Settlements With Actuarial Post

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Henry Hood, Senior Partner in our Family & Relationships department, highlights how pension assets are still frequently overlooked in divorce settlements, despite often being one of the most valuable assets a couple owns.
United Kingdom Family and Matrimonial
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Henry’s comments were published in the Acturial Post, 6 May 2026, and can be seen here.

Henry Hood, Senior Partner in our Family & Relationships department, highlights how pension assets are still frequently overlooked in divorce settlements, despite often being one of the most valuable assets a couple owns. 

Research shows that many divorcing couples are unaware of whether their former spouse even has a pension, and decisions are often driven by immediate financial pressures such as housing and day‑to‑day costs rather than long‑term financial security.

Pensions are commonly excluded because they feel complex, distant or difficult to access, and because they are not jointly owned in the same way as property. While there are three main ways to deal with pensions on divorce (pension sharing, pension attachment orders and offsetting), pension sharing is generally the most effective and fair, providing a clean break and greater certainty.

However, as Henry notes, offsetting is often favoured without a full understanding of the true value of pension assets. This can lead to unfair outcomes, particularly later in life

Read the full article on the Actuarial Post website [external link]. 

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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