Richard Kershaw discusses protecting pensions from an ex in the Financial Times
Richard's comments were published in the Financial Times, 7 May 2026, and can be seen here.
Richard Kershaw, Partner in our Family & Relationships department, examines the logistics and risks when wanting to ringfence your pension during divorce proceedings.
Pensions built up during a marriage are often treated as matrimonial assets and fall within the “sharing principle”, even if one spouse never worked. The court will first look at the full picture, identifying which assets are matrimonial and which are not, before considering whether each person’s needs can be met without dipping into non‑matrimonial assets.
In some cases, it may be possible for one spouse to retain their pension, but usually only if the other can receive equivalent value elsewhere, something that is not always achievable. There are also practical risks in holding too much wealth in a single asset, particularly one that does not provide immediate capital flexibility.
Read the full article on The FT's website [subscription required].