Hi, I'm new but have lurked for years; now very much needing advice.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good London based divorce lawyer (Central or South London) who is experienced with international aspects (e.g. pension splitting a non UK pension) and child issues.
Background info: me, H, and 2 dds (12 and 6) all UK nationals and habitually resident here. H. works (very well paid!) in another EU country during the week but returns every weekend and takes much of the school hols off to come home. We own a house here (mortgaged) and he rents a small flat near his office over there.
I am a sahm due mainly to my eldest having disability/ SEN and needing lots of extra support etc. Youngest is fine thankfully but is only little and I feel the need to be around given their father is not around during the week.
I recently found out he has an OW during the week - while he's away and he has previously been unfaithful but we had therapy and I (wrongly) thought we'd got past it
. He says he loves me (!) but won't give up OW until we can sort out whether we have a future or not!!! He is very up and down at the moment - very annoyingly - one minute he thinks we should split and next he's is thinking we can try again, rebuild and be happy - bit of a mind f**k actually.
I've told him we don't have a future until he gets her out of the picture, we sort out marriage or we end it and then we can both move forward cleanly; whether apart or together! OW is married but separated from her h (she's moved out and lives in a flatshare now) and apparently going to divorce soon... Until I found out, I think he was just living day to day with two lives just not thinking about the long term. Very selfish.
Obviously it is awful emotionally - have only told one person in RL (best friend) as don't want other family/ friends involved until I have made a clear decision etc. but actually in a weird way, when he is over here (and I am not thinking about the OW issue) we have a nice normal family time with the girls.
It is weird as he was off work for 2 weeks over Christmas and was very nice (obviously not whenever I thought about OW situation or discussed that...). I thought that might sway him into seeing what we have and what could be lost - but he is digging his heels in and won't give her up! I meanwhile am very worried about everything - mainly impact on the girls who will see him even less than they do now...
The children are thriving at the moment. It breaks my heart to think of us divorcing and them seeing even less of their father! Also my eldest is very fragile emotionally so I am really worried about the impact of a divorce on her (and the youngest too, of course).
So am now trying to do practical things and gather information and legal advice.
I have seen one family lawyer but, I wasn't totally sure about her and would be very grateful if anyone could recommend someone else.
Thanks for reading if you've got this far!