So, DH and I are separating. Painful but necessary - don't want to go into the details. He has agreed to move out.
He works, I am a SAHM. All our finances are joint - joint account, joint mortgage etc. Here is what I have done so far re financial separation:
- I have opened a bank account in my sole name. I have enough cash in there to buy food and petrol for a couple of weeks.
- I have an appointment this week with the CAB to find out about what benefits I can apply for.
- This is the bit I am worried about - I have cancelled all the household DDs from out joint account. That includes the mortgage and utilities. I have done this because if they all come out of the joint account as usual, DH won't have anything left to enable him to move out and he will be forced to stay put, and I really, really need him to go.
My plan is to phone all the companies affected this week and explain the situation, that their payments will be delayed until I can sort my finances out, which could take a full month.
I'm suddenly terrified to have thrown myself into what feels like financial freefall. Have I made a mistake?