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Hi all hope someone can help me. Ive recently seperated from my wife and moved back to my mums for the time being. I had a mortgage before we met and then she moved in. I took her 2 children in and we had a child together. The eldest has since moved out so its just the 2 kids at home now. Ive no problem with my wife staying at the family home and paying the mortgage, i want to keep it and 1 day its my kids inheritance. But what else do i legally have to pay towards the house ie utility bills? I know i will have to pay CM but is that all. I know she wont be able to cope just on that as she has always been the housewife. Would i be able to let her stay there until my youngest is 16 and ask her to leave? Also what about equity in the house i would agree that in the 7 years shes entitled to half but would it only be half of the equity in those 7 years which i estimate at about 10k. I want to do right by my children but i also want to move on and rent somewhere so my kids have got somewhere to come when i have them over! Any help greatly appreciated. B.
Realistically, I would get a consultation with a divorce lawyer - you may get an initial consultation free of charge. Put your points in order of importance on a sheet, bullet pointed, so you make the best use of your time, especially if it runs into being charged
What you are proposing seems very reasonable, but it's a matter of whether your ex is prepared to be reasonable also, but it might be worth trying to get an agreement before you go for the divorce.
Are you paying all the bills at the moment? I can understand that you have a responsibility to keep a roof over your children's heads but as you have moved out she should apply for income support or even JSA. If the children are over a certain age then she will be expected to look for work. The DWP don't take CM into account so she will receive that on top of her benefits. The CM covers everything and you would not be obliged to pay anything extra. You should also get a reduction because you pay the mortgage. It might help to find out what your CM payments would be, here's a link to the CMS calculator
www.gov.uk/calculate-your-child-maintenance
Hi, yes i pay for everything at the moment but that cant last much longer. I want to do everything legally and then see where that leaves me morally. Also because i work shifts when im on early i want to have the kids over for tea every night and all weekend but when im on nights that cant happen but if i pay out all that money ill only just be able to feed my self anyway. I think ill propose mediation to my wife and see how she responds. Thanks for the guidance. B
Hi There,
It seems as though you are being realistic in your approach.
when you talk about the equity in the house your wife (ex partner) would be as far as I know entitled to half of the total equity, when you get married everything becomes joint so whats your is hers and whats hers is yours, though from experience it becomes whats yours is hers and whats hers is hers Lol
As has already been said legally you need to maintain the mortgage repayments and any insurance repayment plans attached to it, and also CM but that is it, the bills would fall to your ex partner which would then free up some of your money to be able to live.
I think your right in trying mediation before anything else as hopefully you will be able to reach a good compromise that suits you both.
GTTS
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