Does my client need a PODE report?
Pension sharing is becoming harder to overlook.
Client resistance is common
With the publication of PAG2 guidance and increased judicial scrutiny, expectations around pension sharing in divorce are changing.
But at such an expensive time, clients can understandably be resistant to additional cost, and it isn’t always easy to know what level of expert input is genuinely proportionate. We can help.
When a Pension Sharing Report is probably required
There is a Defined Benefit (final salary) pension
There are multiple pensions across different scheme types
Pension values are materially unequal
Offsetting is being proposed
Retirement ages differ significantly
The court has directed expert evidence
There is dispute over pension value or division
When a full report may not be proportionate
Not every case requires full expert modelling. A more streamlined approach (such as a PODE Lite report) may be proportionate where:
All pensions are Defined Contribution schemes
There is broad agreement between parties
There is no proposed offsetting
The matter is progressing by consent
And sometimes no report is needed at all.
It can be hard to know what your client needs
So we’ve developed a short online assessment to determine whether your client:
Needs a Full PODE report or Full PODE + Offsetting
May be suitable for a PODE Lite report
May not require expert input at all
It’s zero cost, takes just a few minutes and will give you a practical start point for a conversation with your client.