A pension adjustment order is an instruction from the court to the trustees of a pension. It directs them to pay part of one person's pension to their former spouse or civil partner, or to someone for the benefit of a dependent child. It can be made on judicial separation, divorce or dissolution, and in some cases when a cohabiting relationship ends.
A separation agreement cannot share a pension on its own. It takes a court order. The court weighs all the financial resources of both people first, and the pension can be the largest asset after the family home.