Pensions vs Student Debt

My husband and I are going through an amicable separation. The plan is to apply for a divorce after April 2022 through the new no-fault divorce option. We have been married for 14 years, and have 2 children aged 12 2and 9.

We have very few major assets. We privately rent and own an old second-hand car. We have agreed I will keep the car, my husband will keep the major furniture assests. We have no savings. We earn very similar wages, though I am a local government employee, whereas he is self-employed.

We have some small individual debts, and I have a local government pension. The value of the pension is approx £3500 per annum. In order to become qualified for my local government job which entitles me to my pension, I have accumulated £40,000 in student loans during our marriage.

If we are advised to share the pension, will the debt also be shared? My feeling is that I wouldn't have been able to get the job without accumulating the student debt, so am happy to share the pension if the debt is shared. Or else agree that the pension is offset by the debt and call it evens.

However, my thinking could be completely off base. I'm not trying to undersell my husband and we will seek independent financial advice but would be interested in other people's experiences.

Just bumping this in case anyone has some advice?

The value of the pension will be the CETV not how much it will pay per year.

Assuming your ex hasn't paid into a pension it would have given you more money to spend at the time.

Student loans aren't really like other debts. They are more like a deferred tax and the majority of people will never actually clear them before they are written off.

You haven't given details of your ages or incomes so it is difficult for people to advise. Does your ex even want a share of the pension?