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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I lied about money. Now I want a divorce. Am I being an idiot/unreasonable?

264 replies

TinselTinselTinsel · 06/01/2023 11:22

DH is a difficult/lazy man. Had lots of support on MN in the past. Going to leave him. He won't listen or change.

Before we married (6 years ago), I inherited from an aunt £60k. We then married. The money has always stayed in my name and in my account.

We spent £20k on the new house and a second car.

Over the last few years, we've had various things go wrong with the house plus childcare for 2 x toddlers, plus pandemic etc.

Anyway - he gets very stressed about money. He doesn't do anything to do with money. Mortgage, bills, car, childcare costs - all down to me to sort to pay and know about. He doesn't even know who our mortgage is with.

Over the last couple of years, I've just downplayed how much things are costing. Because if I tell him "Oh the plumber cost £200" - he will go quiet for 3 days or throw stuff or shout "we haven't got any fucking money" etc, so I just used to say "the plumber cost £100"

I now only have £20k left. He thinks we have £30k to £40k of it left. He last asked how much is left of our savings 6 months ago and I said £35k.

Anyway - I lied. It's £20k.

I now want to leave him. I am the breadwinner. All bills, money, everything in my name. Everything from our savings went on nursery bills and fixing stuff in the house/cars.

I am considering waiting until I've saved up another £10-£15k in my savings account so he doesn't know I spent more on childcare and house that I admitted. But is that crazy behaviour? Does it matter if he finds out that everything cost a bit more than I said it did?

Now one of the kids has got free hours, i am saving every month and probably will get the savings back up to £30-£40k over the next year or two. And then I leave him and he takes half?

Any advice? Should I just leave now and when he asks say "ah yes, there is only £20k left actually"

I know I was wrong to lie. He just gets so angry and stressed about things and he doesn't' really ask anymore but when he did I would just say "it's all fine" because I didn't want to upset him.

OP posts:
TheMatriarchy · 07/01/2023 17:14

Use the 20K to pay for the best lawyer you can. When you have access to funds in a divorce and your partner does not, it makes a big difference as plenty of SAHMs have discovered sadly. Give him nothing. Take your advantage to get this bullying useless layabout out of yours and your children's lives.

Onebelow · 07/01/2023 21:14

niugboo · 07/01/2023 15:20

@Onebelow have you ever tried to get a restraining order?

I referenced occupation order because that would be awarded as part of the restraining order to solve property issues.

it’s far from easy to do and in case here unlikely to be successful. But regardless she can’t just kick him out as you suggested.

Yes, hence why I said I’ve been through it. It really wasn’t difficult for me at all. The police arrested him, his bail conditions said he couldn’t come on the same street our house was on. They fitted 2 silent alarms in my house that when pressed sent a silent signal directly to the police and they would be at my house within minutes. If he was seen hanging around near my house, he would be instantly arrested. I got the restraining order after he answered bail. I asked my landlord to remove him from the tenancy which he did, and he never stepped foot in our house again. Nobody needs to continue to live with an abusive partner, don’t make out to women that it’s really difficult to get rid of an abusive person because it’s really not once you ask for help.

niugboo · 08/01/2023 07:58

@Onebelow so entirely different circumstances to the OP. typical. You didn’t just kick him out did you. Because you can’t.

Shutthegatepeter · 08/01/2023 10:32

niugboo · 08/01/2023 07:58

@Onebelow so entirely different circumstances to the OP. typical. You didn’t just kick him out did you. Because you can’t.

Argumentative woman on mn. Typical. He sounds abusive and controlling to me, so certainly not entirely different circumstances. Nobody needs to continue to live with an abusive, coercive and controlling partner regardless of their financial or living situation. It’s really not hard to get a restraining order, YOU clearly haven’t been through it so 🤫

Onebelow · 08/01/2023 10:43

Shutthegatepeter · 08/01/2023 10:32

Argumentative woman on mn. Typical. He sounds abusive and controlling to me, so certainly not entirely different circumstances. Nobody needs to continue to live with an abusive, coercive and controlling partner regardless of their financial or living situation. It’s really not hard to get a restraining order, YOU clearly haven’t been through it so 🤫

This. Exactly this. Thank you. No woman should have to live with someone like this. It’s awful information and down right damaging and incorrect to say that they do. But this is mn, you could say the sky is blue and some woman will argue with you that it’s actually green 🙄 🥱

niugboo · 08/01/2023 10:54

@Shutthegatepeter no. Not argumentative. But telling someone they can just kick someone out of their home is not helpful advice and is wrong.

niugboo · 08/01/2023 10:58

@Onebelow you told the OP to kick him out. All I clarified was you can’t just do that.

niugboo · 08/01/2023 11:04

@Onebelow the statement you made on 6 Jan is incorrect. She would have to take legal steps to get him out the house but crucially in a mortgaged property this would almost always involve a forced sale unless she wins the house in court and can cover all future costs and potentially pay him out. It’s certainly not as straight forward as you have suggested. It requires a court order, which includes restraining orders which I’m sure you know are court ordered.

whatthefactuall · 08/01/2023 11:08

Shutthegatepeter · 08/01/2023 10:32

Argumentative woman on mn. Typical. He sounds abusive and controlling to me, so certainly not entirely different circumstances. Nobody needs to continue to live with an abusive, coercive and controlling partner regardless of their financial or living situation. It’s really not hard to get a restraining order, YOU clearly haven’t been through it so 🤫

This 💯

Wiluli · 08/01/2023 16:36

Can I ask you a few things I’m unsure , are you in the U.K. and if so what part of the U.K. . When you say he will start screaming , are you scared of what he might do to you or the kids ?

TinselTinselTinsel · 11/01/2023 22:18

I've just booked myself a one night hotel stay with a spa treatment. Out of my savings.

I've never done anything like that.

Fuck it. I'm going to get 8 hours sleep for the 1st time in 4 years.

Hurrah!

OP posts:
UsuallySuze · 12/01/2023 06:46

Hope you enjoy it!

bonzaitree · 13/01/2023 17:41

Well done OP this is amazing update!!

how was your day?

WoeBeCome · 13/01/2023 18:42

Awesome!!

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