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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH's secrets and lies

238 replies

UnicornAndSparkles · 21/01/2024 21:42

I'll preface this with the fact that DH is generally a wonderful husband and father. He in incredibly loving and patient and generous and will always go out of his way to be a real 50/50 partner, be that with early starts, sharing the parental load as best we can (he'll always get up early with the kids for instance, and does most of the nursery drop offs and pick ups despite working full time). We've been married for almost 15 years and he is my absolute rock.

But. He has lied to me, on multiple occasions, about finances. At first it was to cover up a drinking problem, which I obviously knew he had, but he wasn't ready to admit to. With a lot of support from myself and others he has overcome and is now 4yrs sober. Something I am hugely proud of him for. But that drinking problem got him into significant debt which he didn't reveal to me. When he got sober he came clean and told me of the loan and credit card debt, totalling around 10k, all repayable within 2y he said. 2y came and went and I presumed it was paid. It's now 2y on and I find out it's not repaid and there's still around 10k to repay so there must have been significantly more at the outset. His company has recently gone bust and he hasn't been paid a salary for around 6m. He initially kept this from me for 2 months, contributing to the family finances as he usually would but only now I find out it was through a credit card. Obviously this was unsustainable and we he revealed the issue we started paying all the bills from our savings, which are almost depleted. I earn money too but not as much as he does, and my salary isn't enough to cover the mortgage and childcare costs. He put off finding a new job as he was sure the money would come in. It didn't and he has admitted he should have got a new job months ago rather than only starting to look now, when we have little savings left to fall back on. He's also revealed that he's been living in his overdraft for 3y. Again, something he kept from me.

He was on a 90k salary, which to me is a huge amount, but is so bad with money that he couldn't budget his spendings. He lives a champagne lifestyle, which I presumed was because he could, but it's become apparent that he couldn't afford half of it. I, on the other hand, would rather save than spend. It gives me far more of a thrill to see savings mounting up and shop in the likes of new look than it does to buy fancy things and not have any savings. Of course I enjoyed the holidays and all the rest of the things DH was spending money on, but only because I thought he could afford it and it was never overly lavish. My salary is far below his and I obviously had a very naive view of what 90k can afford, as it's clearly not the lifestyle we've enjoyed. He's always been this way, his family joke he was always awful with money. But the issue is the lies he's told me, the fact that he's kept the loan amount and credit card bills and overdraft secret from me, whilst the debt mounts up and up. We've always said we share finances and so it came as a shock that he wasn't being open and honest with me. He says he was embarrassed about the whole thing but now I don't feel I can trust him with money and am questionning whether he really does earn £90k or that's an exaggeration, whether the total debt is bigger than the 20k he's admitted to (he initially said it was 8-10k), whether there are more credit cards with payments due. It really worries me as we share a mortgage and have two children.

The crux is I asked him to prove he was being honest with me about the level of debt he now admits to. I've asked to see bank statements showing the figures and the repayment plan. But he won't show me. AIBU? We are very close to having to ask my grandfather to help us with money when our savings run out as until he starts getting paid again my salary cannot cover all of the outgoings (grandfather is in a position to help, financially, and has offered to do so as he is aware that we are living off our savings). Or we default on the mortgage. I cannot believe we're in this situation. I feel cross that he hasn't been honest with me and cross that he didn't up sticks and get a paying job sooner when he realised the company was going bust, but I can't turn back the clock and he recognises he's been a fool. But am I being unreasonable to not be able to trust him with the finances and to want to see the debt in black and white? Or is he unreasonable not to show me the level of debt he (and realistically "we" as we are a partnership) owe?

OP posts:
Clarinetiu · 21/01/2024 23:48

There is something you can do.

he has to go bankrupt. The sooner the better if he’s on 90k he is never going to get under neath from 110k.

whilst bankrupt he will never get credit and that will simplify the management of the situation for the next few years

UnicornAndSparkles · 21/01/2024 23:50

Won't getting him to go bankrupt significantly worsen our chances of ever getting joint credit aka a new mortgage if we sell up years down the line? The job he's looking to get is a similar salary but comes with commission that could go straight towards reducing the debt. I probably need financial advice on this but obviously can't afford to pay for it.

OP posts:
Clarinetiu · 21/01/2024 23:52

You aren’t getting a mortgage with 110k of unsecured debt.

i seriously doubt anyone would be about to pay off that level of debt with that level of income.

That’s why bankruptcy is something to seriously look at.

UnicornAndSparkles · 21/01/2024 23:53

He's massively buried his head in the sand. We had the house on the market 18m ago and were looking at bigger houses 100k+ more than ours. He kept pushing to look at even bigger ones and I was saying I don't see how we'd meet the mortgage repayments. Obviously he thought he'd win big and be able to afford it. What an idiot. He knows he's been a total and utter idiot and that it's the lies that are the bigger issue. I've told him I don't trust him not to do it again, hence me being in control of all his personal finances. Like a child.

OP posts:
R41nb0wR0se · 21/01/2024 23:58

I think you and DH really need to talk to a debt advice charity. I really hope it works out for you.
I have known people get out of debt of 1.5 times their annual salary. It's not easy, and takes time, but is doable.
It may be worth trying to get a payment holiday on the mortgage to give an opportunity to pay off any very high interest debt that can't be moved to a cheaper deal. Now that you've stopped him spending, you will need to map out the debt he has, see whether it's possible to move any of it to lower cost forms of credit etc, although this may be challenging to find.
Presumably you've cut up his card for the joint account?
Like I said above, definitely get some independent debt advice from a charity. You may also find marriage counselling helpful, and he really needs to seek help with his gambling addiction.

Clarinetiu · 21/01/2024 23:59

was he gambling crypto. I got myself in a bit of a situation with that.

however you need to look at the facts 90 plus commission. Let’s say it’s 65 percent on target bonus.

Probably nets 5k a month. Not going to scratch 110k that’s why you need to look at other options

Noseybookworm · 22/01/2024 00:02

I'm incredulous that you would describe a man who has continually lied and hidden things from you as 'your rock'! And he is still refusing to show you all his financial records which suggests that he has still not been completely truthful with you. I'm not sure what advice you're looking for here OP but I would do everything I could to protect myself and my children and definitely not be borrowing money from your Grandfather. You need debt advice immediately. Get in touch with Citizens Advice as a first step.

Pottlee · 22/01/2024 00:04

Oh OP, sorry no advice, but just want to say I feel for you. Sounds as though you’ve got a tough road ahead, but also sounds like you’re a good person who will help your husband get the help he needs - if only he can be honest with you. I hope you and your family come through this the other side, I really do. I admire you for wanting to work through this, as I don’t feel like you come across as a doormat, and I do wonder if any of the LTB posters would actually jump straight to that themselves in the same situation - I doubt it. Good luck, I wish you the best.

Ponoka7 · 22/01/2024 00:07

Bankruptcy can stop you from getting jobs, especially at his level. He's an addict. He replaced one addiction with another and will again. He needs help with addiction. Some people can't get rid of addiction, so they channel it into becoming workaholics, or exercise etc. This isn't just going to go away. It sounds as though he's always lived in a fantasy world. I agree that you should talk things over with a debt charity once he's got his job offer. Personally he'd be doing anything, even warehouse work if an offer doesn't come through, or be told to get out.

TreetopsSun · 22/01/2024 00:12

OP I’ve been where you are. I did exactly the same as you (took over all the finances that was the advice of the psychiatrist I made him see when his secret debt of 50k came out). A couple of years later, I took my eye off, and then 4 years later found he had incurred another 17k of debt.

You will live in a constant state of low level trauma worrying when the next “surprise” will come. I stayed for a variety of reasons (mainly I had 2 small children and was working part-time). It will grind you down and you will resent him.

5 years later (so 10 from when the 40k debt came out) he has in incurred no big debts; however, regularly overspends and has no money at the end of the month. I don’t respect him. I’ve managed to push my career on, I earn double what he does now. I think I need 2 more years before I can cover the mortgage and children’s expenses and then I will go.

If I had my time again I would have left when the first debt came out, moved in with my parents and divorced him. I was so shell shocked though and just went into survival mode.

I would be taking your Grandfather’s help to get out (either stay with family or rental).

SwordToFlamethrower · 22/01/2024 00:17

Deal breaker. Pure and simple. He won't show you his finances and he expects your grandfather to bail him out?

Bin. Or you'll go down with him!

ThirtyThrillionThreeTrees · 22/01/2024 00:34

The debt is a massive problem and I think you should get specialist help with it.

He also needs to get addiction counselling. He is simply just jumping from one addiction to the best and you can be guaranteed that without intervention there's another one coming next or he'll return to the alcohol.

I would be very tempted to leave him to it.

Jioyt · 22/01/2024 00:39

OP, I'm sorry you're going through this. I disagree with those suggesting you leave your husband.

It's terrible that he lied, and it's a shock to discover he couldn't afford the lifestyle he led you to believe you could. BUT he is still your husband, and from what you have said, a loving and supportive one.

If it were me, I would opt for a tough conversation and encourage him to come clean. He absolutely needs to show you ALL the bank statements.

The next step would be to seek help with finding out how you can get all the debt repaid. Whether or not it's "his" debt is irrelevant. You're ALL being impacted, so it's best to look at this as a family problem rather than a husband problem.

People do stupid things. Hopefully, this is the last time he'll do this. As annoying and heartbreaking as it is, you can both overcome.

ArchetypalBusyMum · 22/01/2024 00:48

Him handing over the control on all finances to you is certainly the minimum needed here, so good he has agreed to that

But addiction is a really powerful force so my concern in your position would be that he has no way to circumvent this strategy (set up new credit cards, accounts linked to his mobile etc etc for instance), and continue to gamble.

I'd be checking on him pretty often.

I'd also want him engaging with addiction services as a condition of things too. Counselling and addiction support.

Mirabai · 22/01/2024 01:00

Stepchange + GamCare tomorrow.

Mirabai · 22/01/2024 01:03

GamCare and Gam-Anon also do support for family and friends. You really need to understand what you’re dealing with.

Grimchmas · 22/01/2024 01:11

One of the things you will need to do is to get each of the gambling companies to block his accounts with them. I think there is an organisation who might do a blanket communication to most of the big UK ones but there are hundreds, and you (he) will need to log onto each site and get his account permanently banned due to gambling addiction. NOT just block the websites from his devices, that's WAY too easy to overcome.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 22/01/2024 06:44

You need to be very careful here.

You can take control of all you want but if he wants to gamble, he WILL find a way. He needs to get some help to manage the addiction, especially in the early days - £100k in debt is not just a flutter to see if you con win enough to get straight.
It's not a criticism - if he's an addict, he can't help it, just like any other addiction - but if you remove his means of gambling and he's not getting help, ready to accept help etc, he will find ways of getting money to gamble.

ArchetypalBusyMum · 22/01/2024 07:06

Great advice from @Mirabai and @Grimchmas there. 👌

adultchildofalcoholicparents · 22/01/2024 07:17

If I had my time again I would have left when the first debt came out, moved in with my parents and divorced him. I was so shell shocked though and just went into survival mode.

This. People should think hard about how much of their lives and personal resources they're willing to dedicate to the rehab of someone else rather than supporting their personal wellbeing that is essential to the welfare of their children. How much of a child's one and only childhood should be spent living in and round the chaos of addiction?

Addiction is a disease. There is a point at which, however, the accompanying lies and deceit are hard for people to recover from.

https://psychcentral.com/blog/addiction-recovery/2014/03/7-honest-reasons-why-addicts-lie#1

7 Honest Reasons Why Addicts Lie

Addicts tell lies more often than they tell the truth. Im not hurting anyone. I can stop any time. Deception b

https://psychcentral.com/blog/addiction-recovery/2014/03/7-honest-reasons-why-addicts-lie#1

NeurodivergentBurnout · 22/01/2024 07:31

He needs professional help for his addiction. I agree with Milkand2sugarsplease, he’ll find a way, especially if he’s not working. I agree with looking at a financial support plan like Christians against poverty (you don’t have to be Christian yourself, they were brilliant for me) or Stepchange.
BUT I think you need to seek legal advice on your own. This is a HUGE amount of debt. The issue is while you’re married, it does affect you. As it stands he has no means to pay it back. Have you got proof the company went bust and he’s not just been sacked? It’s all well and good him aiming for other jobs but in the mean time he’s not bringing any money in and the debt is going to snowball. You need to seriously consider your circumstances. You’re living in a home you can’t afford on your wages with no income from him. You need to make a plan with professional support. Personally I could never trust him again!

Venturini · 22/01/2024 07:40

This is clearly the tip of the iceberg.

Alwaysalwayscold · 22/01/2024 07:44

OP please don't be naive about this.

This man has gone into over £100k of debt, right under your nose. You can't trust a word he says. You have children, he saw gambling as more important than providing for them.

You won't resolve this alone, that's for sure. Reach out to the charities people have recommended on this thread and get an idea of what your life will actually look like moving forwards. It's going to change drastically.

Also I'd be looking into the job claims to see if that's a lie as well. What sort of an idiot would keep turning up to work after 6 months of not being paid?

JubileeJumps · 22/01/2024 07:50

I have a work colleague whose Livy husband has put them through years of debt and remortgaging. One business and work disaster after another. He is obviously in other ways a loving partner. But she confessed to me that she will never be able to retire because they have nothing despite her working full time for decades. She is now 67 and once her current contract ends will need another job.
Loyalty and kindness can thoroughly screw you in later life. She looks so bloody tired I could cry sometimes. Please make sure you and your kids are ok.

DelilahsHaven · 22/01/2024 08:11

So sorry to read how much debt your DH has accrued. Please don't blame yourself for being niave, he has actively hidden this from you. It isn't your dirty secret to keep.

As others have said, advice from Step Change and Gam Anon would be a good idea.

Look after yourself and your children, you must be reeling.