Whether the pension is offset (balancing the pension rights against other income), earmarked (arranged so that when one person’s pension comes into payment part of it will be paid to the other person), or shared (split at the time of the divorce), it is vital that a decision is made by the couple rather than risk the court taking the choice out of their hands.

Deciding what happens to the splitting pair’s pension is as important as carving up the former marital home.

This guide will look at the various options for carving up pensions on divorce, what impact these actions have on the retirement savings pots of a divorcing couple, and the tax implications.

Contributors to this guide include Ian Naismith, pensions expert at Scottish Widows; Hannah Foxley, Chartered financial planner at The Women’s Wealth Expert; Clare Moffat, technical manager of Prudential; and Ray Chinn, head of pensions and investments for LV.