The Enbrook Tables have been designed to support cases involving defined contribution (DC) pensions only.

The Tables allow family law professionals to identify how much of the overall pension capital each party needs so that, allowing for their different ages, they are couple is projected to have the same fund value when they reach the same future retirement age.

When the Tables may be appropriate to use

• Both parties are pre-retirement and neither relevant pension is in payment;

• All pensions included are conventional DC arrangements whose current cash-equivalent values are a reasonable representation of the underlying funds;

• There are no guarantees, protected tax-free cash, guaranteed annuity rates, defined benefits, underpin benefits or other safeguarded benefits;

• There are no unusual health, life-expectancy, liquidity, tax or implementation issues;

• It is assumed the parties will retire at the same future age;

• The same real-return assumption can reasonably be applied to both parties because charges, investment strategy and access terms are not materially different.

When a PODE should still be considered

A full expert report, or at least targeted expert advice, remains appropriate where there is any doubt about the nature or value of the benefits. Particular warning signs include:

• Any defined benefit, cash balance, hybrid, public-sector or occupational promise;

• Pensions already in payment, crystallised rights or protected pension ages;

• Safeguarded benefits, guarantees, scheme-specific tax-free cash or exit penalties;

• Materially different charges, investment strategies, retirement dates or risk profiles;

• A proposed offset against non-pension assets;

• Ill health or life-expectancy considerations; and

• Overseas pensions, executive arrangements such as UURBS, or other unusual structures.

Warnings

• You may need to take advice on which pension(s) to apply the PSO over. In the very least, we suggest you check that both 1) the selected scheme has sufficient liquid assets to easily discharge the PSO liability, and 2) what charges the scheme will apply for implementing the PSO.

• No allowance is made for future accruals.

• This calculator will not address any state pension imbalance.

• This calculator is provided in the interests of being helpful only. We accept no liability for any decisions made based on the output of this calculator, nor for any financial loss resulting from reliance on its estimates.

• We strongly recommend discussing your case with a suitably experienced financial professional (PODE, Actuary, or IFA) if you are in any doubt as to whether this calculator is suitable in your case.

• The Tables do not constitute legal, financial, or actuarial advice. Users should seek independent professional advice tailored to their specific circumstances.

• At the time of writing, the earliest age an individual can access their pension is 55 (except in rare circumstances). This is increasing to 57 from 6th April 2028 and may change in the future.

• Please remember that pension values are constantly changing and that pension sharing is a best endeavours exercise. The actual results of a PSO cannot be guaranteed in advance because underlying fund values will have changed by the time any PSO is implemented.

• Pension sharing is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.