A couple of disclaimers first!
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My comments strictly apply to the income and not the assets. The asset split will probably go in your favour but I don't know by how much. Perhaps 70/30 or 65/35?
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I've got some legal training but I am not a solicitor or a specialist in Family Law. However, I do have an interest and have read some of the relevant case law because I'm considering a divorce myself.
Okay, so income. You're not going to get spousal maintenance (or at least, you're not going to get any benefit from receiving spousal maintenance) and this is why:
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First, you will be expected to maximise your income (for the sake of the calculation. You're free to earn less if you want to, but you cannot ask an ex-spouse to pay you more because you choose not to maximise your earning capacity). Once your youngest child is 11 you will be expected to work full time. You might get spousal maintenance briefly for a period of adjustment but it won't last vre The minimum wage is increasing next tax year to £9.50 an hour. Working 40 hours a week for 48 weeks a year (assuming some holidays) will provide you an income of around £18k, or £1.5k a month. Net you'll take home around £1,325 a month. That's your minimum earning capacity; your skills might mean your earning power is higher (or you have the ability to increase it e.g. if you are a graduate etc). However, for the sake of this exercise we will assume minimum wage.
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Next, your husband will not be on £4,800 a month (I'm assuming this is net). He will be on this less what he pays in child maintenance. Assuming he pays around 5% into a pension and ignoring your eldest (as by the time this is settled in court they would be 18) he will pay child maintenance of £816 a month.
Your potential net income will now be £2,141. His will be £3,984.
- Next you need to consider child benefit. It is my understanding you will become eligible for child benefit of £152 (again, ignoring your eldest as they will be 18 soon) but your ex will have to pay the tax charge.
Your potential net income will now be £2,293. His will be £3,832.
- Next consideration is universal credit. You can get about £420 a month once you've maximised your earning capacity (assuming minimum wage again of course).
Your potential net income will now be £2,713. His will still be £3,832.
Your income now exceeds the needs of £2.5k you mentioned above. So, at this point, it becomes hard to make a case that you will face "undue hardship." Hardship maybe, but not "undue."
In theory you could get spousal maintenance from your future ex's larger income but I would recommend you don't and this is why:
The difference between you once you've maximised your earning capacity is about £1.1k. The first £420 he pays you will see no benefit from. Pound for pound you will lose universal credit. At this point you will be on £2,713 and he will be on £3,412. You could fight for half of that outstanding difference so you're both on £3,062 but it will probably be time limited to give you time to retrain and it'll probably cost about £30k in legal fees to fight for around £4k extra a year that runs out when your youngest turns 18.
Also, because you will have levelled out your incomes for no actual gain, his capital needs will become greater. What might have been a 70/30 split (or maybe even 80/20) will become much closer to 50/50. You might then face a Mesher Order where you have to sell when your youngest is 18 at which point it might be difficult for you to buy anything, whereas your circumstances suggest right now that you could get the house if it can be offset against other assets such as pensions. You'll also have lost £420 in benefits and reduced the income (and potentially future inheritances) available for your children.
Obviously you'll also probably have a more acrimonious divorce if you pursue spousal maintenance and he might be an unreliable payer, causing frequent court appearances when you just want to move on.
What I would suggest you do instead (I will repeat at this stage that I am not a solicitor) is:
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Pursue a larger percentage of the capital in return for a clean break. Make sure pensions are considered;
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Insist that he is more accountable for childcare so you have time to work and build a career of your own. Whether the children stay one night or two per week at his won't significantly change the child maintenance amount so make it two nights. At the very least, it means he will be on the hook to pay for more of the actual cost of childcare.
This will give you more control over the future than relying on spousal maintenance that won't amount to much and which I think you are unlikely to be awarded anyway.