Who pays for the pension report?

General information, not advice on your own case.

There is no single rule, but in practice a few patterns cover most cases.

When you jointly appoint one expert (a “single joint expert”). This is the most common and usually the most cost-effective arrangement: you both instruct the same expert, so there is only one fee to pay, and no duplicated work. The cost is then typically shared between you, often equally, though you can agree a different split, and the way the report’s cost is dealt with can form part of the overall financial settlement.

When one person instructs their own expert. Sometimes one party wants their own analysis (for example, advice on their own position rather than a neutral joint report). In that case that person usually pays for their own expert, at least initially.

As a disbursement. Where solicitors are involved, the report is generally treated as a disbursement, a cost of the case, and dealt with alongside the other costs of reaching a settlement.

If you can’t agree who pays. The court can direct how the cost of a jointly instructed expert is to be shared if you cannot agree it yourselves.

Litigants in person. If you are handling your divorce without solicitors, you deal directly with the expert and settle the fee between you, which is one reason a single joint expert and a clear, agreed instruction usually make the most sense: one fee, one report, both of you on the same footing.

Whatever the arrangement, get the fee agreed in writing up front, and be clear on who is responsible for it before the work starts.

Ready to move? Find a verified expert in the directory, or read the guide on what a good instruction should contain.

July 2026