Expert actuarial services

We have a wide experience of working with legal and other advisers in providing advice and expert witness reports on a wide range of matters relating to our different services.

Often this is specialist advice relating to pension schemes or insurance business, but we also provide expert witness services and other advice on wider issues within our areas of expertise.

With our experience, breadth of technical knowledge and communication skills, we are ideally placed to be expert witnesses and provide other specialist advice. A number of our experts have given evidence in court and many more have prepared expert witness reports under Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

As with all Barnett Waddingham advice, our reports are written in a clear, concise and easy to understand manner and avoid the unnecessary use of jargon. We are an independent firm, wholly owned by the partners, and have a strict policy on conflicts of interest to ensure the integrity of each expert opinion and the independence of the advice given.

We can provide advice on the apportionment of life trusts, pension loss cases for individuals, divorce as well as other projects for companies and individuals which could benefit from actuarial expertise.

Areas of expertise

Pension disputes

• Assessment of quantum of loss where disputes arise on pension scheme benefits, perhaps as a result of an administration or actuarial error. 
• Acting as an expert in disagreements between trustees and companies or between trustees/companies and The Pensions Regulator. 
• Providing an opinion on judgment issues, such as an actuary’s interpretation of a scheme’s legal documents or opinions on the suitability of actuarial assumptions.

Insurance sector

• We can act as an Independent Expert on a Part VII transfer of business.
• Skilled Person Reviews. As from 1 April 2013, Barnett Waddingham was appointed to the Skilled Person Panel in the area of Prudential Insurance.  Please visit the FCA and PRA websites to see the panel in full.
• Act as an independent expert for those seeking actuarial opinion on insurance related disputes.

Investment loss

• Placing a value on the loss suffered by a pension scheme as a result of inappropriate investment advice.

Quantification of pensions loss, for example due to fatal accident, injury or redundancy

• A company pension scheme is often one of the main and most valuable employment benefits of an individual and any unforeseen early termination of pension scheme membership can have a big effect on the individual’s retirement plans.

Pension loss on divorce

• A pension does not have an easily obtainable market value, as with the majority of the other assets apportioned on divorce, and so an actuary may be needed to prepare and comment on a valuation to ensure a fair settlement between the parties.

Life interest valuations

• This includes advice on the apportionment of trust funds between life tenants and remaindermen and calculations of leases for life on a property. Our reports take into account the specific circumstances of the case to determine suitable assumptions for mortality rates of the beneficiaries and the likely future income stream of the trust.