Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Separation or divorce - what's the best bet?

16 replies

DryGrass · 11/07/2018 16:43

H has cheated. Older kids still at home. We earn about the same. This is all new to me.
Any opinions on which option is best please?

OP posts:
henpeckedinchief · 11/07/2018 17:05

I'm so sorry OP.

So much depends on the details really.

Did he admit it or did you find out?
Was it once or more than once?
Was it sex, or 'other things'?
Does he want to work on things?
Do you?
Is he sorry?
Can you forgive him?
Do you want to forgive him?
Could you one day learn to trust him again?

You probably don't know the answers to all of these. But if you think there is a chance it could still work, and you want it to, separation is maybe a halfway house that gives you space to work out what you want and need.

Take time to look after yourself Flowers

DryGrass · 11/07/2018 17:37

Thanks for your lovely reply. Sadly I'm not prepared to be working on it like we did the last time.

OP posts:
Silentpartner · 11/07/2018 17:46

If you’re definite about not working on it, divorce. It’s final and gives the children closure. My BF refused to divorce her cheating DH despite him moving in with OW.
Their children suffered terribly as they assumed DH was coming home ‘when he got bored of OW’ for 3 years. They’ve finally divorced and DC are really struggling to come to terms with it and to build a relationship with dad and accept his relationship. BF regrets her bitterness in hindsight but damage is done

SilverySurfer · 11/07/2018 17:51

Sorry this is happening OP. If this had been the first time, separation may have been appropriate if you wanted your 'D'H to temporarily move out to give you space and time to decide whether to continue with the relationship based on his behaviour and perhaps seeing a councilor. However, having read your second post, I see this is not the first time do personally I would go for a divorce.

Wishing you the best.

DryGrass · 11/07/2018 18:11

Thanks for all your views.
We spent a great deal of money on a super therapist, who he continued with afterwards to sort his own stuff out.
He tells me he lied to her too.

OP posts:
Allthewaves · 11/07/2018 18:26

Divorce. Make clean break. Move on with your life.

Highlandheath · 11/07/2018 18:39

Oh dear, sounds like you have been very reasonable. Bit of advice, if you are going to divorce, a lot of men who behave in ways which are likely to provoke divorce have got all their financial ducks in a row before heading down that route.... just in case. I have so many friends who suddenly discovered joint bank accounts being depleted, assets being transferred, employment becoming self employment. My advice would be to get all the financial information you can lay your hands on before asking for a divorce, take photocopies of everything to give a snap shot of how things really are now because if they haven't started changing, they are likely to begin to when he gets wind of you wanting to divorce. RE the children, lots of men go for 50/50 contact, largely, sorry to say, based on the fact that this leads to a 50/50 asset split. What do you want? What is the childcare split now? What career sacrifices have you made? What is the financial value of your and his unpaid labour (think if you had to employ two nannies, housekeepers, cooks, chauffeurs, tutors, and paid each one by the hour for their work, would your income from these jobs be greater than his, and by how much? Because that's effectively the value of your work, and if you are doing more if it, than him you deserve to have that recognised....). What do you need? Do you want to keep the house? Will he want to keep the house? It's astonishing how quickly men turn sour when asked for divorce, so do bear in mind that he might say lots of nice friendly things along the lines of how he will treat you fairly but when it comes down to it, chances are he won't. A male friend of mine advised me to get all my ammo together, and go in HARD at the outset, it was good advice that I didn't follow!

Highlandheath · 11/07/2018 18:41

PS, get him to buy you some bloody good jewellery as an apology... You will understand why in a few years time...x

ConciseandNice · 11/07/2018 18:43

I am so sorry OP. How utterly disrespectful and selfish. Definitely divorce. Make an appointment for next week. It is final and it shows that you are now demanding the respect he declined to give you before.

DryGrass · 11/07/2018 19:08

Reading all your advice carefully but I don't want to give too many details.
Highland can you explain what you mean please?

OP posts:
DryGrass · 11/07/2018 19:09

By pm if you need toWink

OP posts:
SugarIsAmazing · 11/07/2018 19:13

Why jewellery?

Highlandheath · 11/07/2018 19:49

Drygrass, what I mean about the good advice that I didn't follow!!? Or everything else... Re the Good Advice - ah, well, it was a male friend, who has known me since school, and his opinion, as a man who is totally on my side, was that the ex would go nuclear, fast, because, he said even the most reasonable man would, faced with divorce, and my ex was never the most reasonable man.... So he advised to go absolutely nuclear first, and I didn't... I was nice and reasonable, and it didn't work out as well as it could have. I suppose it was understanding the point of view of a man when threatened with divorce, they hate losing, and divorce sued for by a woman is losing, to them... So they fight back in order to win... that was the psychological observation he made, and when I look around me I do think he is probably right...x

DryGrass · 11/07/2018 19:53

No the jewellery comment really. The rest was very clear.

OP posts:
Highlandheath · 11/07/2018 19:55

I just responded to Sugar about the why jewellery, but incase you wanted to know Drygrass, I suggested it because you deserve it, it will cheer you up, he will probably be amenable to buying something good from his account not the joint account cos he has cheated on you (I have a lot of jewellery! Ya get where I'm coming from here!) AND... well, he won't expect the divorce if you are asking him for jewellery. In the future, he can't take it off you, it's not a joint asset, it's yours, if you need to sell it in the future you can, in the meantime, well enjoy your bling! Go for diamonds or as high a carat gold as you can, it's easier to sell. Buy at auction, best deals. Or at an Asian jeweller, as they sell 18 and 22 carat gold jewellery by weight (go in with the gold price on the day and negotiate like hell) , and it's beautiful too... XX

lifebegins50 · 11/07/2018 20:26

I suppose it was understanding the point of view of a man when threatened with divorce, they hate losing, and divorce sued for by a woman is losing, to them

This is valid advice, how is he currently behaving? Often when men realise you are serious then the nice guy act goes out the window.

Consider finances, what you will need, may be get legal advice and then discuss it

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread