22 April 2026

Pension on Divorce Expert (PODE) report timeline: Our process explained clearly

If you’re getting divorced, pensions often feel like the most uncertain part of the financial picture. They’re often one of the biggest assets involved, but progress can feel slow and opaque, particularly when you’re waiting for information you can’t control. 

A Pension on Divorce Expert (PODE) report is designed to bring clarity. It’s an independent report used in divorce and financial proceedings to explain what pensions each person has and how they might be shared, using clear assumptions so the impact at retirement can be properly understood. 

Below is a clear, step‑by‑step explanation of how our PODE process works, what happens at each stage, and where delays most commonly arise. 

 

What is a PODE report? 

A PODE report explains the pension arrangements in a divorce and illustrates how they could be shared. It’s prepared by one of our Pension on Divorce Experts, who acts as a Single Joint Expert, meaning: 

• We’re jointly instructed by both parties 
• We must remain neutral and independent 
• We don’t advise either person what they should do 
• We don’t decide what would be a fair outcome 

Our role is to explain the pension information and illustrate possible outcomes so the parties, their advisers, and the court can understand the pensions in realistic retirement terms. 

 

Step 1: Enquiry and initial consultation 

Once we have received your enquiry, you can have a 15‑minute initial consultation to discuss: 

• Whether a PODE report is appropriate 
• What pensions are involved (for both of you) 
• What the overall process looks like 
• Likely timescales and costs 
• Whether there are multiple retirement ages that might need to be considered 
• Whether there’s anything specific you want the report to illustrate 

Where parties are not yet represented, it’s important to note that all correspondence must be joint. If solicitors are involved, communication usually comes through them. 

For privacy and security, it’s important not to email personal pension documents or sensitive information until formal instruction has been agreed. 

 

Step 2: Joint instruction or solicitor letter of instruction 

A PODE report can only proceed once both parties agree to instruct us. 

This happens in one of two ways: 

• Both parties jointly confirm they wish to proceed, or 
• A solicitor sends a formal letter of instruction on behalf of the parties 

Until instruction is agreed, no pension information can be requested, and no report work can begin. 

 

Step 3: Client agreement, data protection, and profile forms 

Once instruction is agreed, we issue the following documents to both parties: 

• A client agreement 
• A data protection notice 
• A client profile form 

These documents must be signed and returned. The client profile form is particularly important, as this is where pension details and background information are provided. 

 

Step 4: Letter of authority and state pension information 

Once the client agreement, data protection notice, and profile forms are completed, we then issue a letter of authority to each party. 

This letter: 

• Authorises us to contact pension providers directly 
• Includes relevant policy or scheme details 

We will also issue a state pension forecast form. This is an official document used to request an estimate of how much state pension you could receive and when you can receive it. 

Each party must sign and return the above before any information can be requested from pension providers. 

 

Step 5: Requesting information from pension providers 

Once all signed paperwork has been received from both parties, we send the letters of authority to the relevant pension providers. 

This is the stage that most often affects overall timescales. 

Pension providers are third parties and work to their own processes. In an ideal case, where pension information is already available, a report can sometimes be completed within 3–4 weeks of formal instruction. 

More often, the overall process takes several months. The main reason isn’t the report itself, but the time it takes for pension providers to supply the information needed to prepare it. Some public sector and civil service pensions can take 6–9 months just to issue a valuation. 

Understanding where the time goes can make the process feel far less frustrating. 

 

The importance of a recent CETV 

Many pension schemes produce a Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV). If a CETV has been issued within the last 12 months of the valuation date being used, it can often be relied on. When that’s available, the process can move much more quickly. 

If you already have CETVs, having them ready early can significantly reduce delays once instruction is confirmed. 

 

Why defined benefit (DB) pensions usually take longer 

For defined benefit schemes, providers are often asked for: 

• Confirmation of whether a CETV has been issued in the last 12 months, or how to request one 
• Full details of retirement benefits and how they’re calculated 
• Information on how benefits increase before retirement and once in payment 
• Early and late retirement factors and the scheme’s normal retirement age 
• Confirmation that a pension sharing order is permitted and the cost of implementing one 

As mentioned, this can take up to 6–9 months to provide a CETV, and this part of the process is completely outside our control. 

 

What’s different with defined contribution (DC) pensions 

Defined contribution pensions are often quicker to document, but they still need careful review. 

Information commonly requested from a defined contribution plan includes: 

• Any CETV issued in the last 12 months, or how to request one 
• The current fund value, underlying holdings, and charging structure 
• Confirmation of any guarantees or special features attached to the plan 
• Whether any guaranteed minimum pension (GMP) applies and, if so, its current and revalued value 

Although DC pensions are often quicker than DB schemes, they still need careful checking before being used in a report. 

 

Step 6: Writing the PODE report 

Once all pension information has been received from the pension providers, the report itself is prepared. 

At this stage, Alex James or Hannah Stanley, our Pension on Divorce Experts, will analyse the information and write the report. This typically takes around 3–4 weeks. 

During this stage, Alex or Hannah will: 

• Check the information for accuracy and completeness 
• Apply clear and consistent assumptions 
• Project likely pension income at retirement 
• Illustrate outcomes under the approach or approaches requested 

It’s illustrative only and not a recommendation. 

 

Fees 

The standard fee for preparing a PODE report is £3,600, payable following completion of the report.  

If you want modelling at more than one retirement age, this can be done for an additional £500 per alternative age. 

 

If you’re considering a Pension on Divorce Expert report, or you’re unsure whether a PODE is the right next step in your circumstances, Get in touch.