Ex husband worth a million and offered me only £7000 financial claim

[AmyJahabee]

Hi all,

I made a financial claim against my ex husband and he offered me £5000 and he is worth almost a million. Is this suppose to be a joke.

we were married for 7 years I was not working at the time so he pay for everything whilst I look after the house, no children involved in the marriage. Is that all I get because I didn’t contribute financially? It’s been 3years since the divorce, he has put in so much lies about me towards his statement. I’m going to decline the offer.

can I just decline or ask for a reasonable amount?

You need a solicitor if you think you are entitled to more. Mumsnet can't help you. Google solicitors near you, ask them their fees etc and go from there. Some might accept a deposit and payment once closed or other options. You need to do your own research

1. Ignore 99% of the advice you get on Mumsnet, particularly any from envious posters criticising you for having been a housewife. I recognise that we don’t know your situation, or your culture, we don’t know if your husband bullied you into being a fulltime housewife so he could control you, we don’t know if you spent those years trying to conceive or had losses, and we don’t know your current physical or mental health situation. Perhaps most importantly, you have not asked anyone here for advice on what choices you should have made a decade ago. Nor should you accept advice on that.
2. Google ‘divorce solicitor near me’ then phone 5 of them, explain your ex husband has £1m but has made an insulting offer and ask if they will give you a free initial meeting. They will. It is also possible someone might accept your case with the deal that they get paid out of a settlement.
3. If after seeing a few divorce solicitors for free meetings you really can’t afford to hire one, make plans to represent yourself and ask your local Citizens Advice Bureau for help.
4. Never accept someone’s opening offer, particularly if they are looking to hurt you.

Short marriage, you bought no assets to the marriage. Offer more and hope he negotiates. I’d be surprised if you got more. Million is not that much today for a short marriage in which you didn’t contribute to the financials,

Google something like "family law litigation solicitor [YOUR TOWN HERE] free consultation"

It's quite normal for them to deduct their fee out of the final settlement so you don't have to pay upfront

THIS^

@AmyJahabee Please respond to the above, then you might get some helpful indications so you know where you stand and not get shocked when you hear it first from your solicitors who will have to be very honest with you.

You seem to have expected 'millions'? If so, why or what did 1) you expect him to offer and 2) what do you want/need him to offer and 3) how much you think/BELIEVE you should receive.

Have never seen a so confused divorce settlement op than this. I hope your mind settles as you seem to be in a state of 'shock'.

Short marriage, no kids. He funded you while you studied and advanced your career.

I’d say you’ve benefited considerably from the relationship. You should get 50% of anything you’ve contributed- you say you paid bills, but did you buy furniture, contribute to the mortgage, pay for home improvements etc?

if you haven’t contributed anything then you’ll get half of nothing.

i’d get legal advice but it will cost you ££££ so you”ll have to weigh that up against what you’ll get.

as per pp I’d ask for enough to set you up in a new home- deposit and a years rent/mortgage or similar.

judges now expect women to support themselves after divorce so that’s what you’ll need to do.

Or maybe the husband didn't let her work in order to control her so she didn't have her own career or money. Ever think of that?

On the surface, I can't really see the basis for the claim but if you are trying to secure one, you won't be able to do so properly without professional help.

O/p said she was a student and worked p/t during the marriage.

how would that be controlling so she doesn’t have her own career or money? Supporting her financially to study and gain qualifications? How awful.

You have to get a solicitor, they can take their fee when you are finished.

OP hasn't said what country they're in

I'd recommend getting a solicitor involved

@AmyJahabee Worth £1m? how? in a home/property?

Round here that is not 'rich'. An hour away, in London it's a flat.

If he housed you for 7 years and you didn't contribute and can't prove anything otherwise, why would you think you should take more from him than you have already had? You studied, graduated and are now working. You should be standing on your own feet.

If you are working now, and this is years ago since you divorced, then you CAN afford to pay for legal advice.. After all you had no housing costs etc for 7 years.

. you have no ongoing contact requirements with him, he has no responsibility to provide for you any more.

https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/

A quick google tells us this: https://www.kabirfamilylaw.co.uk/short-childless-marriage-divorce-settlements/#:~:text=As%20a%20starting%20point%20in,should%20be%20followed%20in%20negotiations.

Essentially you need a solicitor, the idea to phone five local ones for advise is great.

If you don't get a solicitor you will lose out on tens of thousands, maybe even a hundred thousand pounds.

Just to add to the other comments on the thread, being "worth a million", does not mean someone has a lot of spare cash. If it's tied up in assets, he may not have tens of thousands sitting ready to give away to his short-term ex wife. But see what a solicitor says. A lot of people have a million in assets (just look at house values), but it doesn't mean they are cash rich.

Get legal advice.

my opinion however, why should you get more, you basically had a free ride and the rides over.

Also a million is quite vague, does he earn this a year? Does he have assets of a million? Did he buy a million pound house during the marriage? Did you move into his million pound house? Did he give you an allowance etc when married? What did you both own/earn entering the marriage? During the marriage?

you do need to speak to a solicitor.

If it was a short marriage and he owned property prior to meeting you and there are no DC, then you may not be entitled to much, but only a solicitor can truly advise you on that.

@AmyJahabee I’m reporting your post to ask for it to be moved to legal.

The only good advice that you have been given here is to find legal representation.

This.

Is the million the equity in his house? Investments? Salary?

I think it’s morally wrong to claim against him when you brought nothing to the table financially and there was no children involved. Unless the reason you didn’t work was because you had to move every few months due to his employment. Courts usually look at whether you’ve sacrificed your own earning potential to support the others.

You've had rent, utilities and food for 7 years in exchange for cleaning the house. He should be billing you.