My father divorced his second wife 7 years ago. It was an incredibly bitter divorce, she had beaten their eldest child black and blue, stolen thousands of pounds by forging his cheques and taking our credit cards in his name and generally been a very toxic person to live with.
He was granted residency over their two sons and for a while she had supervised contact.
After a while they came to an amicable arrangement, which in turn led to her moving back in a year or two later. I was very worried for my half-brothers but my father kept saying that she'd changed and was a much better mother to them now.
After many previous attempts to kick her out - each time giving in because he felt it was best for the children to have their mother with them - he now realises that she isn't good for them and wants to kick her out permanently. However she claims he needs a court order to do that and he doesn't have the money to instruct a solicitor. I believe the children (now 9 and 13) are at risk of her increasingly deviant behaviour - she gambles, she takes them to friends houses where she sleeps with her married boyfriend while they sit downstairs waiting, she steals their birthday money, she is inappropriately physical with her youngest, she constantly threatens to leave them sometimes disappears for days only to return as though nothing happened. She treats her children with contempt, buying their affection with treats whenever it suits her.
The house is in my father's name, they are not married. Can he just kick her out and change the locks? Or does he need to instruct a solicitor? He has no money, but I'm worried for the emotional well being of my brothers while she continues to live there.
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Legal matters
Rights of a common law wife?
21 replies
digitalgirl · 13/01/2013 15:41
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babybarrister ·
13/01/2013 20:45
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irishyouamerrychristmas ·
14/01/2013 15:59
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