Pension rights and divorce

Solicitors and divorcees have sharply different perceptions of how far pension rights are taken into account in divorce settlements, according to research published by the Department of Social Security. Solicitors said pension rights were considered in 70 per cent of cases in England and Wales and in 85 per cent in Scotland. However, ex-wives said they were not even discussed in 63 per cent of cases.

Despite the finding, only a fifth of Scots solicitors and barely half that figure in England were satisfied with the way pension rights are currently treated. And only 45 per cent of divorcees were "very" or "fairly" satisfied with the financial arrangements following their divorce. A mere 15 per cent felt they understood them well. From this month, the courts will have extended powers to consider pension rights on divorce. Nicholas Timmins