Anyone who has experience of pension splitting and divorce please?

[Rafferty11]

My soon to be ex-Husband has been in the forces since 16 and will be retiring shortly at 55. We have been married 30 years but are divorcing. I understand I will be entitled to share his pension given the length of our marriage. However I'm struggling to get a sense of what and when I may be able to access any money from this.

I understand I will need to wait until 55 to access a pension but that any payments are likely to be reduced as a result of claiming that pension early (as opposed to at 65). Any idea what percentage I may lose ? Will I be entitled to a lump sum ?

I know I may need to consult an actuary to get accurate figures but I just want a general idea so I can get my head around the process.

Any help really appreciated. Thank you.

1. lawyer
2. actuary/financial adviser

Pointless anyone here giving advice as it depends entirely on your settlement and the pension terms which no one here knows. The professionals won't expect you to have much knowledge so should explain everything if you are honest about what you don't understand.