Upon a marital breakdown, your former spouse may be entitled to receive up to one-half of the pension benefit earned during the period of marriage.
The period of marriage is defined in a court order (from the Supreme Court) or divorce decree. It usually begins at the date of marriage, or cohabitation, and ends at the date of separation or divorce.
In order to divide a pension benefit, NS Pension must receive a copy of the court order or corollary relief judgment, along with a separation agreement (if applicable). Please know that a separation agreement alone is not accepted.
Common-law partners have the same rights as married spouses, with the period of ‘marriage’ being defined as a period of cohabitation in a conjugal relationship of three years or more.
If you are separated from a legal spouse (not divorced) and you are living common-law with another person, your legal spouse would take precedence over a current common-law partner in the event of your death.
| IMPORTANT After retirement, the TPP recognizes an individual as being a spouse only after 3 years of being married or being in a common-law relationship or a combination of both. |
Changes to your marital or relationship status may affect your pension. It is important to inform us if your relationship status changes.