The Family Procedure Rules 2010

CHAPTER 8 PENSIONS

Application and interpretation of this Chapter

9.29.—(1) This Chapter applies

(a) where an application for a financial remedy has been made; and

(b) the applicant or respondent is the party with pension rights.

(2) In this Chapter—

(a) in proceedings under the 1973 Act and the 1984 Act, all words and phrases defined in sections 25D(3) and (4) of the 1973 Act(1) have the meaning assigned by those subsections;

(b) in proceedings under the 2004 Act—

(i) all words and phrases defined in paragraphs 16(4) to (5) and 29 of Schedule 5 to that Act have the meanings assigned by those paragraphs; and

(ii) “the party with pension rights” has the meaning given to “civil partner with pension rights” by paragraph 29 of Schedule 5 to the 2004 Act;

(c) all words and phrases defined in section 46 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999(2) have the meanings assigned by that section.

What the party with pension rights must do when the court fixes a first appointment

9.30.—(1) Where the court fixes a first appointment as required by rule 9.12(1)(a) the party with pension rights must request the person responsible for each pension arrangement under which the party has or is likely to have benefits to provide the information referred to in regulation 2(2) of the Pensions on Divorce etc (Provision of Information) Regulations 2000.

(The information referred to in regulation 2 of the Pensions on Divorce etc (Provision of Information) Regulations 2000 relates to the valuation of pension rights or benefits.)

(2) The party with pension rights must comply with paragraph (1) within 7 days beginning with the date on which that party receives notification of the date of the first appointment.

(3) Within 7 days beginning with the date on which the party with pension rights receives the information under paragraph (1) that party must send a copy of it to the other party, together with the name and address of the person responsible for each pension arrangement.

(4) A request under paragraph (1) need not be made where the party with pension rights is in possession of, or has requested, a relevant valuation of the pension rights or benefits accrued under the pension arrangement in question.

Applications for pension sharing orders

9.31.  Where an application for a financial remedy includes an application for a pension sharing order, or where a request for such an order is added to an existing application for a financial remedy, the applicant must serve a copy of the application on the person responsible for the pension arrangement concerned.

Applications for consent orders for pension sharing

9.32.—(1) This rule applies where—

(a) the parties have agreed on the terms of an order and the agreement includes a pension sharing order;

(b) service has not been effected under rule9.31; and

(c) the information referred to in paragraph (2) has not otherwise been provided.

(2) The party with pension rights must—

(a) request the person responsible for the pension arrangement concerned to provide the information set out in Section C of the Pension Inquiry Form; and

(b) on receipt, send a copy of the information referred to in sub-paragraph (a) to the other party.

Applications for pension attachment orders

9.33.—(1) Where an application for a financial remedy includes an application for a pension attachment order, or where a request for such an order is added to an existing application for a financial remedy, the applicant must serve a copy of the application on the person responsible for the pension arrangement concerned and must at the same time send—

(a) an address to which any notice which the person responsible is required to serve on the applicant is to be sent;

(b) an address to which any payment which the person responsible is required to make to the applicant is to be sent; and

(c) where the address in sub-paragraph (b) is that of a bank, a building society or the Department of National Savings, sufficient details to enable the payment to be made into the account of the applicant.

(2) A person responsible for a pension arrangement who receives a copy of the application under paragraph (1) may, within 21 days beginning with the date of service of the application, request the party with the pension rights to provide that person with the information disclosed in the financial statement relating to the party’s pension rights or benefits under that arrangement.

(3) If the person responsible for a pension arrangement makes a request under paragraph (2), the party with the pension rights must provide that person with a copy of the section of that party’s financial statement that relates to that party’s pension rights or benefits under that arrangement.

(4) The party with the pension rights must comply with paragraph (3)—

(a) within the time limited for filing the financial statement by rule 9.14(1); or

(b) within 21 days beginning with the date on which the person responsible for the pension arrangement makes the request,

whichever is the later.

(5) A person responsible for a pension arrangement who receives a copy of the section of a financial statement as required pursuant to paragraph (4) may, within 21 days beginning with the date on which that person receives it, send to the court, the applicant and the respondent a statement in answer.

(6) A person responsible for a pension arrangement who files a statement in answer pursuant to paragraph (5) will be entitled to be represented at the first appointment, or such other hearing as the court may direct, and the court must within 4 days, beginning with the date on which that person files the statement in answer, give the person notice of the date of the first appointment or other hearing as the case may be.

Applications for consent orders for pension attachment

9.34.—(1) This rule applies where service has not been effected under rule9.33(1).

(2) Where the parties have agreed on the terms of an order and the agreement includes a pension attachment order, then they must serve on the person responsible for the pension arrangement concerned—

(a) a copy of the application for a consent order;

(b) a draft of the proposed order, complying with rule 9.35; and

(c) the particulars set out in rule 9.33(1).

(3) No consent order that includes a pension attachment order must be made unless either—

(a) the person responsible for the pension arrangement has not made any objection within 21 days beginning with the date on which the application for a consent order was served on that person; or

(b) the court has considered any such objection, and for the purpose of considering any objection the court may make such direction as it sees fit for the person responsible to attend before it or to furnish written details of the objection.

Pension sharing orders or pension attachment orders

9.35.  An order for a financial remedy, whether by consent or not, which includes a pension sharing order or a pension attachment order, must—

(a) in the body of the order, state that there is to be provision by way of pension sharing or pension attachment in accordance with the annex or annexes to the order; and

(b) be accompanied by a pension sharing annex or a pension attachment annex as the case may require, and if provision is made in relation to more than one pension arrangement there must be one annex for each pension arrangement.

Duty of the court upon making a pension sharing order or a pension attachment order

9.36.—(1) A court which varies or discharges a pension sharing order or a pension attachment order, must send, or direct one of the parties to send—

(a) to the person responsible for the pension arrangement concerned; or

(b) where the Board has assumed responsibility for the pension scheme or part of it, the Board;

the documents referred to in paragraph (4).

(2) A court which makes a pension sharing order or pension attachment order, must send, or direct one of the parties to send to the person responsible for the pension arrangement concerned, the documents referred to in paragraph (4).

(3) Where the Board has assumed responsibility for the pension scheme or part of it after the making of a pension sharing order or attachment order but before the documents have been sent to the person responsible for the pension arrangement in accordance with paragraph (2), the court which makes the pension sharing order or the pension attachment order, must send, or direct one of the parties to send to the Board the documents referred to in paragraph (4).

(4) The documents to be sent in accordance with paragraph (1) to (3) are—

(a) in the case of—

(i) proceedings under the 1973 Act, a copy of the decree of judicial separation;

(ii) proceedings under Schedule 5 to the 2004 Act, a copy of the separation order;

(iii) proceedings under Part 3 of the 1984 Act, a copy of the document of divorce, annulment or legal separation;

(iv) proceedings under Schedule 7 to the 2004 Act, a copy of the document of dissolution, annulment or legal separation;

(b) in the case of divorce or nullity of marriage, a copy of the decree absolute under rule 7.31or 7.32; or

(c) in the case of dissolution or nullity of civil partnership, a copy of the order making the conditional order final under rule 7.31 or 7.32; and

(d) a copy of the pension sharing order or the pension attachment order, or as the case may be of the order varying or discharging that order, including any annex to that order relating to that pension arrangement but no other annex to that order.

(5) The documents referred to in paragraph (1) must be sent—

(a) in proceedings under the 1973 Act and the 1984 Act, within 7 days beginning with the date on which—

(i) the relevant pension sharing or pension attachment order is made; or

(ii) the decree absolute of divorce or nullity or decree of judicial separation is made,

whichever is the later; and

(b) in proceedings under the 2004 Act, within 7 days beginning with the date on which—

(i) the relevant pension sharing or pension attachment order is made; or

(ii) the final order of dissolution or nullity or separation order is made,

whichever is the later.

Procedure where Pension Protection Fund becomes involved with the pension scheme

9.37.—(1) This rule applies where—

(a) rules 9.30 to 9.34 or 9.36 apply; and

(b) the party with the pension rights (“the member”) receives or has received notification in compliance with the Pension Protection Fund (Provision of Information) Regulations 2005 (“the 2005 Regulations”)(3)—

(i) from the trustees or managers of a pension scheme, that there is an assessment period in relation to that scheme; or

(ii) from the Board that it has assumed responsibility for the pension scheme or part of it.

(2) If the trustees or managers of the pension scheme notify or have notified the member that there is an assessment period in relation to that scheme, the member must send to the other party, all the information which the Board is required from time to time to provide to the member under the 2005 Regulations including—

(a) a copy of the notification; and

(b) a copy of the valuation summary,

in accordance with paragraph (3).

(3) The member must send the information or any part of it referred to in paragraph (2)—

(a) if available, when the member sends the information received under rule 9.30(1); or

(b) otherwise, within 7 days of receipt.

(4) If the Board notifies the member that it has assumed responsibility for the pension scheme, or part of it, the member must—

(a) send a copy of the notification to the other party within 7 days of receipt; and

(b) comply with paragraph (5).

(5) Where paragraph (4) applies, the member must—

(a) within 7 days of receipt of the notification, request the Board in writing to provide a forecast of the member’s compensation entitlement as described in the 2005 Regulations; and

(b) send a copy of the forecast of the member’s compensation entitlement to the other party within 7 days of receipt.

(6) In this rule—

(a) “assessment period” means an assessment period within the meaning of Part 2 of the Pensions Act 2004; and

(b) “valuation summary” has the meaning assigned to it by the 2005 Regulations.

(1)

Section 25D(3) and (4) was amended by sections 21 and 84(1) of and paragraphs 3(1) and (5) of Schedule 4 to and paragraphs 64 and 66(1) and (4) of Schedule 12 to the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 and section 66(1) of and Schedule 8 to the Family Law Act 1996.

(2)

Section 46 was amended by section 320 of and Part 1 of Schedule 13 to the Pensions Act 2004 (c.35) and articles 15(1) and (4) of the Taxation of Pension Schemes (Consequential Amendments) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/745).

(3)

S.I. 2005/674.