What a Pension on Divorce Expert (PODE) does - and when you need one

When pensions are significant, or complicated, in a divorce, a specialist called a Pension on Divorce Expert - a PODE - is often brought in. Their role is frequently misunderstood, so it is worth explaining what they actually do, and in what situations their input makes a real difference.

A Pension on Divorce Expert is a pension professional with appropriate specialist competence. A PODE may be an actuary, a regulated financial adviser or another suitably experienced pension specialist. The precise role depends on the instruction: a PODE may provide independent expert evidence for the court, or may be instructed in another capacity, including to advise one party.

Where a PODE is instructed to provide expert evidence, the applicable legal process and duties depend on the form of instruction. A Single Joint Expert is jointly instructed by both parties and has an overriding duty to the court, not to either party or to whoever pays the fee. Under Part 25 of the Family Procedure Rules and the relevant Practice Directions, the expert must be independent and impartial. A PODE instructed only to advise one party is not acting as a Single Joint Expert, although the scope and status of the work should still be clear.

Not every divorce needs one. Where the only pensions are modest defined contribution pots of similar size, the numbers may be simple enough to handle without specialist input. A PODE tends to add real value when:

• There are defined benefit or public-sector pensions (NHS, teachers, police, armed forces, civil service, local government), where the cash equivalent value can mislead.
• There is a significant disparity between the parties' pensions, or a meaningful age gap between them.
• The aim is to equalise retirement income rather than simply split capital values.
• Offsetting is being considered and a fair 'exchange rate' between pension and other assets is needed.
• The pensions are large or complex enough that getting the split wrong would have serious long-term consequences.

The Pensions Advisory Group report provides authoritative good-practice guidance on the treatment of pensions on divorce. A PODE's work should also reflect the terms of the instruction, the relevant professional and court requirements, and current financial assumptions. For example, the assumptions used to value public-sector pensions were updated in 2026, which can affect figures in live cases.

A pension settlement lasts decades. The difference between a well-analysed split and a rough guess can amount to a materially different standard of living in retirement for one or both parties. Expert input, at the right moment, is not an added complication - it is often what makes a genuinely fair outcome possible.

We help you understand what pension analysis means for your finances after divorce and, where expert evidence is required, point you towards suitably qualified independent expert support instructed through the appropriate legal process.