Pensions values up 70pc in five years and should be a top priority in any split 4 August 2021 • 6:00am The number of divorcing couples forced to share their pensions dropped by a third last year to a 10-year low, despite retirement savings ballooning during the pandemic. More than 10,500 people were ordered to split their pensions with their former spouse in 2020, down from 15,000 in 2019, a freedom of information request submitted to the Ministry of Justice has revealed. This marked a steep and disproportionate fall given the total number of divorces only fell by 3pc, to 104,400. Pensions should always be included in the financial settlement of any divorce as they are typically a household’s second biggest asset, after property. However, the Courts handed down the fewest pension sharing orders in more than a decade.