Police Divorce
Pension, Money and Help
Everything a police officer, or the partner of one, needs when a marriage or civil partnership ends: how the police pension is really shared, free calculators for the pension, child maintenance and the house, the steps and costs, and where to get help.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 19 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
The police pension. It is usually the biggest asset, it is valued on Government Actuary's factors, and an equal split of its cash value can leave one of you with a much smaller pension than the other, because the former partner's share is paid at 60, 65 or State Pension age depending on the scheme. Get the cash equivalent early (6 weeks if you say it is for divorce), check McCloud remedy service, do not apply for the final order before the financial order, and get figures before you agree anything.
Start here: which are you?
This hub is independent. PolicePay is not a law firm and gives no legal or financial advice: we explain the rules, give you calculators built on the schemes' own rules, and point you to the right kind of help. Everything is England and Wales unless a page says otherwise.
Free police divorce calculators
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How a police pension is divided
A court dealing with a divorce or dissolution in England and Wales must take pensions into account, even ones not payable for years (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 s.25B). With a police pension there are three routes:
- Pension sharing order. A percentage of the pension's cash equivalent (CETV) moves to the former partner as their own police pension, called a pension credit. The officer's pension is reduced by a matching pension debit. This gives a clean break.
- Offsetting. The officer keeps the pension and the former partner takes more of the house or savings. There is no rule for how much; a pound of police pension is not worth a pound of cash. Try our share or offset calculator.
- Attachment order. Part of the pension or lump sum is paid to the former partner when the officer draws it. No clean break, so it is used less.
| 1987 scheme | 2006 scheme | 2015 scheme | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Former partner's share is paid from | Age 60 | Age 65 | Their own State Pension age (from 55 with a reduction) |
| Their lump sum | Optional, up to 2.25 times the yearly pension | Automatic, 4 times the yearly pension | Optional, £12 for each £1 a year given up |
| Officer's lump sum after a share | Lower: worked out on the reduced pension | Lower: a separate lump sum debit | Lower: worked out on the reduced pension |
| Can the share be moved to another pension? | No | No | No |
| Survivor's pension on the share | None | None | None |
The officer's debit is the share of the pension built up to the day the order takes effect. It rises with inflation and the scheme adjusts it for when the officer actually retires: it is smaller if a 2006 or 2015 pension is taken before 65 or State Pension age, and it can be larger for a 1987 officer who keeps serving after being able to retire. The death in service lump sum and children's pensions are not reduced.
The Pension Advisory Group's guide warns that with uniformed services pensions such as the police, an equal division of the cash equivalent "can lead to very unexpected outcomes" and that such cases need a pension on divorce expert. The officer may be paid from 50 or 55 while the former partner's credit waits until 60, 65 or State Pension age. Our calculator shows the difference on your own figures.
The full detail is in the police pension divorce settlement guide and, for 2015 to 2022 service, McCloud remedy and divorce.
Key numbers for 2026
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce or dissolution application fee | £628 | GOV.UK, read 19 October 2026 |
| Consent order (agreed financial order) | £62 | GOV.UK |
| Asking the court to decide the money (Form A) | £321 | GOV.UK |
| Wait before the conditional order | 20 weeks from the start | Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 s.1 |
| Wait before the final order | 6 weeks after the conditional order | Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 s.1 |
| Pension cash equivalent (CETV) for divorce | 6 weeks if you say it is for divorce proceedings, otherwise 3 months; one free in any 12 months | SI 2000/1048 reg 2; SI 2000/1049 reg 3 |
| Scheme puts a pension sharing order into effect | Within 4 months | Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 s.34 |
| Pension sharing charges | In the thousands (Met schedule £4,070 in its 2023 version; SPPA £4,320 standard from April 2026) | Scheme charge schedules |
| Police CETV factors changed | 19 May 2026 (values fell) | GOV.UK, new CETV factors |
| Pension on divorce expert's report | Published prices about £1,200 to £3,000 | Expert firms' published fees, October 2026 |
Where are you up to?
- Thinking about separating. Get your pension statement and payslips together, read the checklist, and look after yourself: the welfare hub lists Federation, charity and wellbeing support.
- Separated, nothing formal yet. Until the final order, a spouse normally still receives the death grant in the 2006 and 2015 schemes, whatever the nomination says. See death in service and divorce. Agree interim child maintenance: child maintenance calculator.
- Divorce under way. Ask for the CETV now (6 weeks if you say it is for divorce). Disclosure on Form E: Form E for police officers.
- Working out the money. Compare sharing with offsetting, check whether one of you can keep the house (budget calculator) and consider a pension on divorce expert.
- After the order. The scheme has 4 months to put a sharing order into effect. Update nominations and your will. If you were divorced on figures from before 1 October 2023 with 2015 to 2022 service, read about McCloud recalculations.
Every police divorce guide
The police pension
Usually the biggest asset in a police divorce, and the easiest to get wrong.
- Pension divorce calculator What your police pension is worth now, the part built up during the marriage, and what a share does to each of you.
- Pension settlement explained How the CETV is worked out, pension sharing orders and the pension debit.
- Share or offset calculator Pension sharing against offsetting with the house, side by side on your own figures, and attachment orders.
- McCloud remedy and divorce Remedy service, the deferred choice and pension sharing orders made before or after the remedy.
- Divorce after retirement Sharing a pension already in payment, the lump sum already taken, and what changes for each of you.
- Ill-health pension and divorce Sharing an ill-health pension, the injury award, and needs when one of you cannot work.
- Injury awards and divorce Why an injury award is treated differently from the pension in a settlement.
For partners and police couples
If your spouse or civil partner is the officer, or you are both in the police.
- Divorcing a police officer For the spouse or partner: the police pension, the pension credit, when it is paid and how to get the figures.
- Both of you are officers Two pensions, two CETVs, cross-sharing and the shift and posting problems of a police couple.
- Unmarried couples What an unmarried partner can and cannot claim when you split up or if you die.
Money, the house and the children
What is left each month, keeping the home, and maintenance on police pay.
- Budget and house calculator Take-home pay after maintenance, and what you could borrow on your own.
- Child maintenance calculator The Child Maintenance Service formula on police pay, overtime and shared care.
- Child maintenance and overtime How the CMS counts overtime and allowances, and when to ask for a recalculation.
- Spousal maintenance How courts look at police income, overtime and allowances, and maintenance after the pension starts.
- Child arrangements on shifts Making contact work on a shift pattern, what courts look at, and how shared care changes child maintenance.
- Divorce and the house Keeping, selling or buying out the family home on police pay.
The process and the paperwork
Steps, dates, forms and what to do while you are separated.
- Divorce checklist and timeline Every step from separating to the final order, with the pension steps and dates worked out for you.
- Form E for police officers Filling in Form E on police pay: overtime, allowances, the pension section and Form P.
- Death benefits after separation Who gets the death grant and survivor pension once you separate or divorce, and the forms to update.
- Divorce in Scotland Matrimonial property, the relevant date and how a Police Scotland pension is shared.
Getting help
Who does what, what it costs and how to choose.
- Police divorce solicitors What a police pension specialist should know, what it costs and how to get the most from the first call.
- Pension on divorce experts When a police pension needs an expert report, what one costs, what it should cover and how to instruct one.
- Federation family law offers Which firm each Federation branch uses for divorce, and the free appointments, discounts and fixed fees on offer.
- Police divorce rate What the evidence does and does not say about policing and relationship breakdown, and where to get support.
Go further: reports on your own figures
The calculators are free. If you want the full picture before you see a solicitor or agree anything, there are two paid reports and a pack:
- Police Divorce Pension Report (£49.99). An estimate of the cash equivalent on the Government Actuary's factors, the pension your former partner's share buys and from when, your pension and lump sum at retirement after the share, the share that gives you both the same pension, and a PDF. It is an estimate to help you understand the options, not an expert report for court.
- Police Separation Money Plan (£19.99). Both households month by month, child maintenance in the right direction, whether a buy-out of the house is affordable, overtime scenarios and a PDF.
- Police Divorce Pack (£59.99). Both, plus the Pension Command Centre for your whole police pension.
Go further with your own figures
Turn these estimates into a plan you can take to a solicitor
Police Divorce Pension Report · £49.99
Your pension at every share, the lump sum before and after, the part built up during the marriage, when each part is paid, what your former partner gets, offsetting figures and the questions for your solicitor. With a PDF.
See the reportPolice Separation Money Plan · £19.99
Both households side by side, child maintenance both ways, whether you can buy out the house, and what happens if overtime drops. With a PDF.
See the planPolice Divorce Pack: both, plus the Pension Command Centre, £59.99 (worth £116.98 separately)
The Command Centre models your whole police pension to retirement, so you can see life after the settlement. One payment, no subscription. 12 months on the report and plan; the Command Centre is yours to keep.
Estimates and general information, not legal, financial or mortgage advice.
Getting help
- A family solicitor who knows police pensions. What to ask and what it costs: police divorce solicitors. Many Federation branches arrange free first appointments or discounts: Federation family law offers.
- A pension on divorce expert. For most police pensions worth sharing, a report is worth considering: when you need one and what it costs.
- Free guidance. MoneyHelper, the government-backed service, offers pensions and divorce information and appointments: moneyhelper.org.uk.
- Our free enquiry form. Below. It comes to PolicePay; we reply and, only with your agreement to a named firm, introduce you to a family-law firm with police pension experience.
Free: the police divorce checklist (PDF)
The documents to gather, the pension steps from CETV to pension sharing order, and the questions to ask a solicitor, written for police officers and their partners. Enter your email to download it. We will also send occasional police divorce and pension updates; unsubscribe any time.
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Free enquiry
Talk to a family solicitor who knows police pensions
Tell us where you are up to. We will reply by email and, if you want, introduce you to a family-law firm with police pension experience for a first conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a police pension in a divorce?
It is treated like other assets: the court must take it into account, and the usual choices are a pension sharing order (a percentage of its cash equivalent moves to the former partner as their own police pension), offsetting it against other assets such as the home, or an attachment order. In England and Wales a sharing order is a percentage of the whole pension's cash equivalent; in Scotland only the part built up during the marriage counts.
Is my ex entitled to half my police pension?
There is no automatic entitlement. Pensions are part of the money the court divides, often starting from equal sharing of what was built up during the marriage, but needs, the length of the marriage and other assets all matter. With police pensions an equal split of the cash value can give very unequal pensions, which is why many people look at equal income instead.
When does the former partner get their share of a police pension?
From 60 for the 1987 scheme part, 65 for the 2006 scheme part, and their own State Pension age for the 2015 scheme part (from 55 with a reduction). It is paid for life, cannot be transferred to another pension and is not affected by the officer's death or the former partner remarrying.
Does a pension sharing order reduce my police lump sum?
Yes. In the 2006 scheme there is a separate lump sum debit at the same percentage. In the 1987 and 2015 schemes the lump sum comes from giving up pension, and the most you can give up is worked out on the pension after the debit, so the lump sum is lower too.
Does the share include pension I build up after the divorce?
No. The debit is based on the pension built up to the day the order takes effect. It then rises with inflation and the scheme adjusts it for when you retire, but service after that day is yours.
How much does a police divorce cost?
Court fees are £628 to apply for a divorce, £62 for a consent order and £321 if the court has to decide the money. Police pension schemes charge thousands to put a sharing order into effect, and a pension on divorce expert's report typically costs £1,200 to £3,000. Solicitors' fees vary: ask for a written estimate.
What is a CETV and how do I get one for divorce?
The cash equivalent transfer value is the scheme's capital value of the pension, worked out on Government Actuary's factors. Ask the administrator for one for divorce and say it is needed for divorce proceedings: it then has 6 weeks. One in any 12 months is free. Values worked out before 19 May 2026 used older factors.
How does the McCloud remedy affect a police divorce?
For service from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022, the divorce cash equivalent uses the higher of the legacy and 2015 scheme values, and the scheme keeps two debits until the officer chooses at retirement. Orders made on older figures can be recalculated.
Should I apply for the final order straight away?
With a police pension involved, most solicitors advise waiting until the financial order, including any pension sharing order, has been made. Once the final order is made the former spouse loses any survivor's pension rights, and a sharing order cannot take effect before the final order anyway.
Does child maintenance include police overtime?
Yes. The Child Maintenance Service uses taxable income as HMRC holds it for the latest tax year, which includes overtime and taxable allowances, after pension contributions. If income has changed by 25% or more, either parent can ask for current income to be used.
Who receives the enquiry form on this page?
PolicePay. Your enquiry is read by Andrew Thomas at andrew@policepay.co.uk. We reply by email and, only if you agree to a named firm, pass your details to that one family-law firm. If a firm pays us for introductions we tell you before you agree.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 19 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999, Part IV (ss.27 to 34) : pension sharing, debit and credit, 4-month implementation (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, ss.1, 21A, 24B, 25B : no-fault divorce periods, pension sharing and attachment orders (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Pensions on Divorce etc. (Provision of Information) Regulations 2000, reg 2 : 6 weeks or 3 months (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Pensions on Divorce etc. (Charging) Regulations 2000, reg 3 : one free valuation in 12 months (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015, Part 8 : 2015 pension credit members (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2006, regs 61 to 64 : 2006 pension credit at 65 with a 4x lump sum (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Pensions (Pension Sharing) Regulations 2002, SI 2002/3202 : 1987 scheme Part M (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023, reg 24 : McCloud: the greater of the two values (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GAD, Police England and Wales transfer value and pension sharing guidance : how CETVs, debits and credits are worked out (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Public service pension schemes: new CETV factors (16 June 2026) : 19 May 2026 change (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Get a divorce : £628 fee (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Money and property when you divorce or separate : £62 consent order, £321 Form A (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985, s.10 : Scotland: relevant date and matrimonial property (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Child Support Act 1991, Schedule 1 : child maintenance rates (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Pension Advisory Group, A guide to the treatment of pensions on divorce, 2nd edition : uniformed services pensions need expert input (accessed 19 October 2026)
- SPPA, Pensions on Divorce: Police and Fire (1 April 2026) : Scottish charges and process (accessed 19 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Pension tools for after the settlement
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. It is not a law firm or a financial adviser, is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and this page is general information, not legal, financial or pension advice. Every divorce settlement depends on the facts, and pension sharing is decided by agreement or by a court. Figures from our calculators are estimates on stated assumptions: the scheme administrator's cash equivalent and the court order are what count. For decisions about your settlement, speak to a family solicitor and, where the pension is a large part of the money, a pension on divorce expert. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 19 October 2026.