In South Africa, the dissolution of marriage can have significant implications for retirement funds, particularly for divorcees who are members of such funds. While it might seem straightforward that a non-member spouse is entitled to a portion of the member’s pension, the reality is more complex, governed by a web of legislation including the Pension Funds Act, the Divorce Act, and even Islamic Law in certain cases.
Felicia Hlophe, a legal adviser at Allan Gray, sheds light on this intricate matter. According to Hlophe, the Divorce Act defines “pension interest” as the benefits to which a member would have been entitled if their membership in the fund ended on the date of divorce due to resignation. This definition underscores an essential point: only active members of an occupational fund have a pension interest. Consequently, non-member spouses of paid-up members cannot access any portion of the member’s benefit in the fund.
A recent High Court case exemplifies this complexity. In this case, a member of an occupational fund resigned from employment in May 2021 but retained pension benefits in the fund. Upon divorcing his non-member spouse in October 2021, the court awarded 50% of the member’s pension interest to the non-member spouse. However, the fund argued that no pension interest existed in the fund anymore, as the member had resigned before the divorce.
The court’s ruling highlighted a crucial dependency: a non-member spouse’s access to their spouse’s benefits hinges on divorce and the active status of the member in their fund. Even if benefits remain within the fund, access for non-member spouses is contingent upon these conditions.
Marital property regimes further complicate matters. For marriages without a prenuptial contract, the default regime is in community of property. Here, each spouse owns 50% of assets and liabilities in the joint estate. In contrast, marriages out of community of property without accrual entail each spouse retaining their respective assets, with no claims against each other’s assets. However, if accrual is included, the spouse with the larger estate must compensate the other for the difference.
The Divorce Act clarifies that for marriages out of community of property without accrual, where the marriage commenced on or after 1 November 1984, the non-member spouse has no claim for pension interest from the member’s retirement savings. This provision underscores the importance of understanding the nuances of marital property regimes in divorce proceedings.
In the process of divorce, members may request information from their occupational funds to ensure compliance with court orders or settlement agreements. It’s crucial that these documents accurately identify the retirement fund, specify the entitlement of the non-member spouse to “pension interest,” and detail the amount or percentage due to them. Moreover, the fund’s ability to implement a divorce order hinges on various factors, including the member’s active status and the adequacy of the order’s wording.
Tax considerations further complicate the distribution of pension interests. Non-member spouses may opt to receive their allocation as a cash lump sum, subject to tax deductions by the fund. Alternatively, they can transfer benefits to an approved retirement fund, a tax-free option for both parties.
Navigating the intersection of divorce and retirement funds requires a nuanced understanding of legal frameworks and individual circumstances. As such, seeking expert advice is paramount to ensure equitable outcomes for all parties involved.
