Divorce finance advice and PODE reports in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Analysis and guidance to help you move forward during and after divorce.
Pensions on Divorce Experts (PODEs).
Pension sharing order and offsetting advice.
Cash-flow modelling for future planning.
Mortgage capacity assessments.
Investment guidance post-divorce.
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Divorce finance advice & PODE reports in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you are divorcing in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, or elsewhere in the UK, specialist financial advice can make a meaningful difference to your long-term outcome. Divorce often creates uncertainty around pensions, property, income, investments and your future financial security. With clear, structured analysis, we help you understand your assets, evaluate settlement proposals and plan for life after divorce with confidence.
Our Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) and Pensions on Divorce Experts (PODEs) work alongside family law solicitors to support clients through complex financial issues, including pension sharing and offsetting, asset division, mortgage capacity assessments, cash-flow modelling and post-divorce investment planning.
For parents, we also ensure child maintenance obligations and future affordability are properly factored into the wider financial picture.
Every situation is unique, which is why we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your circumstances and confirm what level of expert reporting or financial planning support you may need, wherever you are in the UK.
Support and advice during and after your divorce.
Financial matters during a divorce can be complex, especially when pensions, property, tax and long-term income all need to be assessed together.
The services below show the types of reports and analysis we provide, but the right approach depends entirely on your circumstances.
PODE reports: Expert Single Joint Expert (SJE) reports providing impartial pension analysis for court proceedings, including comparisons, fairness assessments and detailed technical calculations.
Pension sharing & offsetting reports: Detailed analysis of pension values, retirement benefits and tax issues, setting out clear sharing and offsetting options supported by technical calculations.
Cash-flow modelling reports: Projected ‘what-if’ scenarios for income, spending and assets, helping you understand the long-term impact of different settlement options.
Mortgage capacity assessments: A full review of your post-divorce borrowing capacity, with a Mortgage Capacity Report to support negotiations or court proceedings.
Tax-efficient asset division: Guidance on dividing property, savings and investments to make best use of allowances and minimise unnecessary tax.
Implementing a pension sharing order: Support with transferring shared pensions and selecting an appropriate receiving plan and investment strategy.
Investing money after divorce: Advice on rebuilding pension savings or investing lump-sum settlements so they align with your future goals.
Protecting maintenance payments: Recommendations on protection policies so agreed maintenance can continue if your ex-spouse dies.
If you’re unsure where to begin, contact us for a free initial consultation and one of our advisers will help you understand what support you need.
We Are Members of Resolution.
As Resolution members, we follow a constructive, non-confrontational approach to resolving financial issues during divorce. The Resolution Code of Practice ensures we support you with clarity, fairness and minimal conflict. Watch their video on choosing a better way to divorce.
As Resolution members, you can expect us to:
Reduce conflict and avoid hostile language.
Put children’s needs first.
Act with honesty and integrity.
Explain long-term financial and emotional impacts.
Treat everyone with respect and without judgement.
Guide clients clearly through their options.
Maintain and develop professional expertise.
Follow Resolution good-practice standards.
Work constructively with other professionals.
Understanding Pensions on Divorce.
When a marriage or civil partnership ends, pensions are often one of the most valuable, and most complex, assets to divide. They may form part of the overall financial settlement alongside property, savings and income, and the court has several mechanisms available to achieve a fair division.
There are three main ways pension assets can be divided in England and Wales:
Offsetting: Trade pension value against other assets, usually the home, giving a clean break but not always equal retirement income.
Attachment: A share of pension income is paid on retirement. No clean break, and payments may change on death or remarriage.
Pension sharing: Transfer part of the pension as independent rights. Creates a clean break and is the most common modern approach.
Pensions on Divorce Experts and PODE Reports.
When pensions form a significant part of the marital assets, courts and solicitors rely on specialist input to reach fair financial settlements.
A Pensions on Divorce Expert (PODE) provides the impartial analysis needed to understand the true value of pension benefits, assess sharing options, and support legally robust decisions. Our PODE service, based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, helps ensure that both parties have clear, accurate and court-ready information at every stage of the divorce process.
What is a PODE?
A Pensions on Divorce Expert (PODE) is a specialist who provides independent financial analysis to support the pension element of a divorce settlement.
Their expertise ensures that solicitors, mediators and clients have the clear, accurate information needed to make fair and informed decisions about how pensions should be shared or offset.
Why are PODEs instructed?
In most cases, a PODE is appointed jointly by both parties as a Single Joint Expert (SJE).
To act in this role, they must hold specific pensions and financial planning qualifications and meet the regulatory standards required for expert evidence in family law.
Their involvement helps ensure:
Accurate pension comparisons.
Consistent methodology between parties.
Clear, unbiased recommendations.
Compliance with family court rules.
What does a PODE Report Cover?
Once formally instructed, a PODE will produce a detailed report; typically a Pension Sharing Report or Pension Offsetting Report.
These reports provide the technical analysis needed to determine:
How pension benefits compare between parties.
Whether sharing or offsetting is more appropriate.
What percentage split achieves fairness.
How different schemes and benefits interact.
The long-term financial impact of proposed settlements.
This analysis forms a key part of achieving an appropriate and sustainable financial settlement.
Pension Sharing Reports and Pension Offsetting Reports.
In divorce financial remedy cases, the objective is to reach a fair outcome for both parties. This applies to pensions just as much as to property and other assets.
However, pensions are complex: their true value is difficult to assess, and different schemes behave very differently. This is why the input of a Pensions on Divorce Expert (PODE) is often essential.
What are Pension Sharing and Pension Offsetting Reports?
A fair division may aim to provide similar levels of retirement income, but equality is not always appropriate. Factors such as needs, health, ages, contributions, the length of the marriage, and whether assets are matrimonial or non-matrimonial will all influence the outcome.
A Pension Sharing Report or Pension Offsetting Report provides:
A full analysis of all known pension arrangements.
Projected retirement incomes at an agreed retirement age.
Technical calculations showing how pensions could be divided or offset against other assets.
Considerations around charges, taxation, death benefits and any Lifetime Allowance implications.
These reports give the court and both parties a clear, independent basis for negotiating a fair settlement.
Our Pension Sharing & Offsetting Report Service.
We act as a Single Joint Expert, providing an impartial opinion on the pension issues within your case.
Your report is prepared by an experienced Pension on Divorce Expert (PODE) based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and sets out clear, technically robust guidance for use in negotiations, mediation or court proceedings.
What information do we need to prepare your report?
To produce an accurate and reliable assessment, we require full details of each party’s pensions and other assets. These documents typically include:
Form P (Pension Inquiry Form): Required where a Pension Sharing or Pension Attachment Order may be made.
Form E (Financial Statement): Provides a breakdown of income, assets and expenditure.
Pension scheme statements: Annual Benefit Illustrations, Cash Equivalent Transfer Values (CETVs) and any divorce-specific valuations.
State Pension Forecasts: A summary or full forecast for each party.
These usually contain most of the required information, although we may request additional details if needed to ensure accuracy.
Cashflow Modelling Reports.
A Cashflow Modelling Report provides a detailed picture of an individual’s (or couple’s) financial position - net assets, pensions, investments, income and expenditure - projected year by year into the future.
Using assumptions about investment growth, inflation, earnings, interest rates and spending patterns, the model illustrates a range of “what-if” scenarios to show how your finances may evolve over time.
What is cashflow modelling?
Cashflow modelling helps you understand your long-term financial position and the potential impact of different decisions. It can address key questions such as:
Whether your financial goals are achievable.
How to structure income and withdrawals sustainably.
How to minimise tax where appropriate.
Whether you are at risk of running out of money.
How to plan gifts or the transfer of wealth to family members.
How your retirement lifestyle could be funded.
How small financial changes—or stressful events—may affect future outcomes.
What do we need to prepare the report?
To produce an accurate and reliable assessment, we require a full breakdown of income, expenditure, assets and liabilities.
If the report supports a divorce settlement, Form E (Financial Statement) normally contains much of the information needed, although we may request additional details to refine the analysis.
How is the Cashflow Modelling Report used?
Your Cashflow Modelling Report is prepared for you and, where relevant, your legal advisers, to support better decision-making across a range of financial planning scenarios, including:
Helping negotiate a fair divorce settlement by understanding future income and capital needs.
Showing the impact of income withdrawals and capital spending on long-term wealth.
Determining how much needs to be saved to meet defined financial objectives.
Providing clarity during retirement planning and testing the likelihood of meeting future goals.
Our reports are independent, analytically robust, and prepared by experienced financial planning professionals.
Mortgage Capacity Assessment and Reports
A Mortgage Capacity Assessment is a detailed evaluation of how much an individual is likely to be able to borrow following a divorce. It considers post-divorce income, expenditure, dependants, credit commitments and overall financial stability to determine an affordable and realistic borrowing range.
The outcome is set out in a formal Mortgage Capacity Report, which can be used as evidence during financial negotiations or court proceedings.
A professionally prepared report adds credibility to your financial position when working with your solicitor, mediators or the courts, helping to demonstrate what level of housing you can reasonably secure after separation.
Our Mortgage Capacity Assessment Service.
During divorce proceedings, we act as an independent expert and provide a clear, unbiased Mortgage Capacity Report for use in negotiations, mediation, collaborative law or court hearings. The assessment is carried out by an experienced mortgage specialist who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Your adviser will analyse multiple scenarios that may affect borrowing capacity, including:
Different settlement structures or income arrangements
Changes in employment or working hours
The impact of paying or receiving maintenance
Existing credit commitments or new financial obligations
While we do not recommend specific mortgage products or lenders within this report, we provide realistic maximum borrowing estimates and illustrative comparisons based on your circumstances. The finished report is submitted directly to your family lawyer to support the wider divorce settlement process.
What information do we need?
To prepare an accurate assessment, we require a full breakdown of income, expenditure, assets and liabilities. Form E (Financial Statement) contains most of the information needed for divorce cases, although we may request additional details to refine the calculations.
The Financial Vulnerability Charter
AV Trinity is committed to the Personal Finance Society’s Financial Vulnerability Charter.
As responsible Independent Financial Advisers in Tunbridge Wells, our clients can trust us to incorporate the nine principals of the Financial Vulnerability Charter into the way we operate. This approach makes us ‘a safe pair of hands’ when it comes to managing your finances.
Our Expert Financial Advisors on Divorce Finances & Divorce Money
Helen Carey FPFS
Helen is AV Trinity’s Compliance and Operations Director and a Chartered Financial Planner, Resolution Memberand Pensions on Divorce Expert (PODE) based in Tunbridge Wells. A Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, she leads the firm’s divorce advice standards and is the lead author of AV Trinity’s PODE Reports, working closely with solicitors and other professionals to support fair and well-informed financial settlements.
Bethany Lawton FPFS.
Bethany is a Chartered Financial Planner, Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, Resolution Member and Pensions on Divorce Expert (PODE). She advises clients and their legal representatives on pension sharing, financial settlements and post-divorce planning, and is an author of AV Trinity’s PODE Reports, providing clear, impartial analysis to support negotiations and long-term financial decisions.
Sarah Demmon FPFS
Sarah is a Chartered Financial Planner, Resolution Member and Pensions on Divorce Expert (PODE) based in Tunbridge Wells. A Fellow of the Personal Finance Society, she advises clients and works alongside solicitors on pension sharing, post-divorce investment decisions and wider financial planning, helping individuals understand their options and make informed decisions during and after divorce.
Laura Ashby CertSMP, CertsCII (MP & ER)
Laura is an Independent Mortgage and Protection Specialist and a Member of the Society of Mortgage Professionals, with advanced qualifications in Mortgage Advice and Equity Release. She prepares Mortgage Capacity Reports for divorce proceedings and advises clients and their legal representatives on realistic borrowing capacity, affordability and housing options following separation.
Divorce finances are complex. We’re here to bring clarity.
Financial decisions during divorce can feel daunting, especially when pensions, property, income and long-term security are at stake. Speaking with a specialist adviser helps you understand your options, evaluate settlement proposals and plan for life after divorce with confidence.
Leave your details and one of our experienced financial advisers or Pensions on Divorce Experts (PODEs) will get in touch to discuss your situation.
Based in Royal Tunbridge Wells, we support clients across Kent, East Sussex and throughout the UK.
Why choose AVT?
Chartered Financial Planners.
Free first conversation.
Specialist advisers & PODEs.
Independent, unbiased reports.
Clients across Kent and the UK.
Supportive, confidential service.
Our location.
AV Trinity Limited
Oakhurst House
77 Mount Ephraim
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN4 8BS
Tel: 01892 612 500
Email: info@avtrinity.com
Areas we cover.
We advise clients across the UK. Locally, we support clients throughout Kent, including Ashford, Maidstone, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge. In East Sussex, we advise clients in areas including Bexhill, Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, Heathfield and Uckfield.
Divorce Finances & Money FAQ
Useful Divorce Finance Links
Citizens Advice - help on getting a divorce.
Government guidance on getting a divorce - step by step.
The Money Advice Service - help on divorce and separation.
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) - for free financial guidance and debt advice.
The FCA offers guidance on what to ask your Financial Advisor.
What is divorce money called?
When you divorce or dissolve a civil partnership, you and your ex-partner must agree how to separate your finances. This includes dividing property, savings, investments and pensions, as well as agreeing any ongoing maintenance.
The formal agreement you reach is known as the financial settlement or financial agreement. This may include spousal maintenance and child maintenance.
A settlement only becomes legally binding once it is written into a Consent Order and approved by the Court. You should always ask a solicitor to draft this on your behalf.
Is divorce money taxable?
Tax treatment during divorce depends on individual circumstances, and crucially, tax consequences can arise from the date of separation, not the date of your Final Order (Decree Absolute).
The following taxes may be relevant. Specialist legal or financial advice is strongly recommended before agreeing a settlement:
Income Tax: Spouses/civil partners are taxed separately. Income-producing assets transferred as part of the settlement may create new tax liabilities. Splitting pensions can also impact future Income Tax for both parties.
Inheritance Tax (IHT): Transfers between UK-domiciled spouses/civil partners remain exempt until the Final Order is granted.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT): Property transfers ordered by the Court are usually SDLT-exempt. However, SDLT may apply on new property purchases.
Capital Gains Tax (CGT): Often the most relevant tax in divorce. Whether CGT is payable depends on the timing of asset transfers relative to cohabitation status and the tax year of separation.
Pensions & Lifetime Allowance (LTA): Pension taxation can be complex and should always be reviewed with expert financial advice.
How does divorce money work?
When separating finances, the goal is a fair outcome. If an agreement cannot be reached, the Court will decide. A 50/50 split is not automatic.
Where there are dependent children, their needs are the Court’s first priority. The Court considers all circumstances, including:
Each party’s income, earning capacity and financial resources.
Future financial needs, obligations and responsibilities.
The standard of living during the relationship.
The age of each party and the length of the marriage/civil partnership.
Any physical or mental disability.
Contributions to the home or family (including non-financial contributions).
Loss of pension rights or other benefits due to the divorce.
What is a Court Order in a divorce?
The Court can make several types of financial orders during divorce, judicial separation or dissolution, including:
Lump Sum Orders: One party pays the other a single or series of lump sums. This may be used to balance out equity or replace future spousal maintenance.
Property Adjustment Orders: The Court can order the sale or transfer of property, including the family home.
Pension Orders: The Court may order pension sharing or attachment. (See our Divorce & Pensions section for full detail.)
Spousal Maintenance Orders: Maintenance can be ordered for a fixed term, until remarriage, or for joint lives. In many cases, a “clean break” is more appropriate.
Child Maintenance Orders: Normally dealt with by the Child Maintenance Service, but agreed figures can be recorded within a Consent Order.
Every divorce is different. Early legal and financial advice is essential to ensure the settlement is fair, tax-efficient and sustainable for the long term.