Urgent Pension explanation for dummies please ?

[52andblue]

I want to legally Separate from H (in Scotland) as a prelude to Divorce.
I am receiving Legal Aid but lawyer is awful (& changing is difficult)

I have now obtained H's pension details.

Total value of final salary benefits is: 121.6K @ todays date.
they add Pension under relevant age (he is 57) 51K
spouses pension 2.5K
So Total 165K

He is giving me a choice - Separate now and I get 50% of this pension (how much would it be anyway I have no idea and have no pension of my own as I've been a SAHM to 2 kids with SN for 18 years) or stay married and I can share his pension till his retirement (which may be in 5 years or may be in 10 he is not sure yet). He moved out last July. I have been paying the interest only mortgage monthly & all bills. He is paying child maintenance at the correct rate for his income (£30 p/a)

I feel ridiculous asking this but I have no idea what these figures mean. Lawyer won't help, cant afford a financial advisor & the local CAB doesnt have appointments for weeks.

Can anyone give me an idiot proof idea please?

Another point to note… as you say, in Scotland you are only entitled to split the pension accrued up until your “separation date”. Google tells me, that is the date he moved out.

So I think he can’t offer to share the pension at a future date when he retires. It’s not his choice to include those additional years.

Of course, you could fiddle it to be the equivalent - if he offered you 60%, for example.

But (a) trust no-one in divorce over money and (b) especially don’t trust this weasel!

If it went to court years down the line, and he pulled out evidence of having moved out in July 2021, I think the legal term is that you would be “fucked” 😉

Again, I’m stressing here that I have some level of study in English law and a casual nerdy internet in pensions - so do not rely on what I say. But use it for your own searches and thinking.

My next point…
This lawyer of yours saying there’s no point in going for more than 50% because it’s such a small amount?
Bollocks and codswallop.

Let’s totally make up numbers. What if the annual pension was worth £8K, and you took 50%?
£4K, obviously!
55%?
£4400.

When you’re on a low income, £400 a year is a an caravan holiday. It’s gym membership. It’s a cushion against unexpected boiler repairs.

My personal opinion? Get what you can. Don’t let someone else tell you it’s not worth it, when they’re not living your income.

Thank you @Cocomarine - this is all SO helpful. I'm looking into it & will update in due course x