Pension splitting
Pension splitting divides spouses’ retirement provision built up during marriage, especially on divorce, to balance long-term financial security.
In Switzerland, pension splitting is central to divorce. Old-age and occupational pension entitlements accumulated during marriage are generally divided so that both spouses share retirement provision built up in the partnership. This reflects unpaid care work, part-time employment and unequal earning histories. The mechanism differs between social security credits and occupational pension assets, and special issues arise after retirement, disability, foreign schemes or short marriages. Courts or pension institutions implement the division according to the applicable family and pension rules.