Divorce and Pensions

looby75

I am currently divorcing my husband, my solicitor has advised me that I should apply for a share of his pension (we have been married for 14 years and I have spent most of that time as a stay at home mum raising our children so have no pension of my own).

She has written to him asking for details of his pension plan and for his last 6 months pay slips. He phoned to tell me he has no problem supplying his pension plan details but he will not send in his pay slips as he doesn't see why they are needed.

What will happen if he doesn't send them in, will it hold up the divorce, and are the pay slips really needed if he sends all the other info to my solicitor?

This is really difficult for me, this divorce isn't something I am happy about but I know it's something that I need to do and I would prefer that things didn't drag on if at all possible so any advice from posters who had btdt would be much appreciated.

skint_spice

Hi Looby,

I don't remember having to provide payslips when I was divorced but do remember providing pension details. My solicitor would have advised me to stop wasting time though if I'd messed about as every delay would have led to another letter from the other side. Hopefully if your ex's solicitor is on the ball they'll keep him in line.

Don't worry things will get better!

SS x

looby75

skint_spice wrote: »

Hi Looby,

I don't remember having to provide payslips when I was divorced but do remember providing pension details. My solicitor would have advised me to stop wasting time though if I'd messed about as every delay would have led to another letter from the other side. Hopefully if your ex's solicitor is on the ball they'll keep him in line.

Don't worry things will get better!

SS x

problem is he hasn't got a solicitor! He is too tight to pay for one and as we have been separated for 3 years he was planning to just sign a few forms and that would be that. He didn't know I could claim on his pension (neither did I thb) so this is something neither of us anticipated.

looby75

NAR

looby, all these things like salary,pension,savings,property etc are taken into account when working out the financial settlement. Your solicitor is there to ensure you get the "best deal" - if he is too mean to employ one then that is his look out. Your solicitor probably wants the pay slips to confirm his salary (and pension contribution if it is on pay slip) before suggesting a pension split to be included in the financial settlement.

looby75

thanks NAR, do you know what will happen if he refuses to hand his payslips over?

NAR

Not sure looby, as I handed mine over, as I had nothing to hide. Perhaps if your solicitor explained the need for them to your OH he might be less reticent to hand them over.

looby75

I've told him to phone her office and talk to her about it but he just keeps saying he hasn't got 6 months payslips and can't get copies so there is no point in talking to her about it. I know he's lying because He NEVER throws his payslips out, when he left I found about 5 years worth in one of my cupboards :eek:

NAR

Perhaps it might be best if you ask your solicitor then. If it is something simple then he might not be so stubborn, unless of course he is hiding his true salary from you both!

looby75

I'll give it until after the weekend and if he hasn't calmed down and started being reasonable I'll phone her then. I know exactly how much he gets paid every month because I'm still on the joint account and can see "his" account on my online banking. He knows this as I keep asking him to take me off the account but he keeps forgetting to write the letter. I really can't understand why he is being so difficult about handing over his payslips, we get on fine now and are pretty open with each other about things like money etc.

NAR

looby, am I right in assuming he has agreed to share cost of solicitor? (by way of split payment or coming out of financial settlement). If so remind him that every time the solicitor writes to him it costs money, so he is costing himself money; see if that helps.