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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Please help - husband is horrific

10 replies

GingerKombucha · 22/07/2025 22:01

weve been married 2 years, have an 18 month and 3 year old. It's been a difficult marriage at times, for many reasons, but a couple of nights ago my husband screamed at my mother and made her cry, we've been fighting since and he's just told me he hates me, he's going to divorce me, he has huge amounts of money and is going to make sure I never see my children again.we're very comfortably off but have spent a huge amount on our home over the last six months. I know I need to leave him but I just don't know how. We have a huge house with a fairly huge mortgage in London. He's terrified my tonight and I hate him but I don't ever know where to start or what to think.

OP posts:
BrentfordForever · 22/07/2025 22:03

You work?

You have your own savings? If not, start putting something aside each week, don’t rush into anything till this is sorted

MiloMinderbinder925 · 22/07/2025 22:06

Why did he shout at your mum? What's your relationship usually like?

finallygettingit · 22/07/2025 22:13

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/
can he see your search history OP?
if so delete this thread and figure out a way to find help without him knowing
if you are in the UK it doesn't matter how much money he has, he can't take your kids away or stop you seeing them
stay safe and know you and your children are worth more and deserve happy and secure lives

Home - Women's Aid

Women's Aid is a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services and build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated.

https://www.womensaid.org.uk

Itiswhysofew · 22/07/2025 22:15

Are you and your children safe? I'd inform the police of his behaviour and threats to you. Would you be able to stay with your DM, if you need to?

Are you familiar with all the finances at home? Get as much info as possible. See a solicitor for advice.

Is your DM OK? She must be very worried about you and DC.

19lottie82 · 22/07/2025 22:19

If you leave him……

He has loads of money?

great, half of that is yours!

he’s going to make sure you never see your kids ever again?

I very, VERY much doubt this! Does he currently do 50% or more of child care and heavy lifting, without being pressured into it? If not, why would you think he’d want to be a full time parent?

This is a common threat by men, meant to scare and control, but in real life he probably couldn’t imagine anything worse!

Thedoorisalwaysopen · 22/07/2025 22:37

Take your kids and go and be with your mum.

I really hope your employment is stable and you have RL support OP. You will need it, kicking this excuse of a human being to the curb.

QueenofAssam · 22/07/2025 22:52

Just this.. do not be intimated by his claims about the children. It is just a means of control … you can so much better

Alstromeria · 22/07/2025 23:01

If you do nothing else OP, get involved with women's aid and attend their meetings. It'll give you advice and a supportive network of people who understand what living with this type of man is like. It'll give you knowledge about relationships and knowledge about how to leave. Give them a call tomorrow to find out when the meetings are or find the address of your local branch and just show up. Someone will talk to you even if there's not a meeting on.

Essentially, you need to get your ducks in a row, as they say on here.

Forget about money that's already been spent, it's gone. If it makes the house more valuable for when it's sold and the proceeds split or just makes it more sellable, those are good things.

For tonight you need somewhere safe to sleep. The DC room?

Tomorrow start gathering information. You need all the financial information and your marriage certificate etc. Try to get copies of everything that's official or financial.

Book an appointment with a divorce lawyer when you're ready. You don't need to start getting divorced just yet but empower yourself by talking through your options and what happens. You'll also already have a lawyer if he suddenly springs divorce on you. He's threatened it and it may be an empty threat but it also may mean he's in the process of hiding money and preparing to start divorce proceedings. So get yourself prepared even if you decide not to act just yet.

If you're concerned about needing a backup plan and being homeless, register with the council. You're currently housed so you'll be way way down on the priority list but it may make you feel safer to be in the system and if the abuse escalates you can update the information.

Go onto Entitled To website and input your information hypothetically as if you were a single parent, that'll give you an idea of whether you could claim universal credit or other benefits and how much it'd likely be.

If you're not already working, think about what needs to happen for you to get back to work and start taking steps to do that.

Start building savings from whatever you can. Selling things online which you don't use any more, being frugal with everyday spending and putting anything saved aside into an account in your name. Ensure the child benefit is going into your bank account not his. If you're not already claiming it then claim it, don't worry if he earns too much, he'll have to pay it back and you'll get to keep it. That's the system and it's legally allowed.

Ignore his threats about taking DC. You'd have to be a truly terrible mother for the courts to award him residents parent status and you no access. Almost certainly you'll be the resident parent and he'll probably disappear from their lives. Once you've split up you can claim child maintenance, but consider whether you want to. Personally I think half the men who have their DC at all only do it to pay less/no maintenance. They seem to fob off the DC onto the nearest woman they can find whether that's their own mothers or a new girlfriend. Others basically neglect or semi neglect their DC if they've nobody to fob them off onto. If you don't claim maintenance I think many men would just disappear altogether. Which might be a while lot easier than co parenting with an abusive arse.

DarkHollowTree · 22/07/2025 23:10

If calling and logging this with the police is too overwhelming for you right now please book an appointment with your GP or health visitor if you have young children. Start creating a paper trail now if he's intimidating you and making threats to alienate you from your children.

AnotherDayInParadise43 · 22/07/2025 23:16

Do DC have passports, are you both British? If there is any chance he could use these and try to take DC away from you out of the country, hide them or ask a trusted relative to look after them. And as pp have said, log a police report about his threats.

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