Ex wants to sell the house

[PrawnCracker1]

I am currently going through a separation from my husband, we have two DC age 10 and 8.
I am living in the (jointly owned) family home with our DC, paying all the bills, mortgage etc. Ex had agreed to me buying him out, albeit for a lesser amount than he would be entitled to, in order for it to be affordable for us to stay in the home, and to minimise disruption for the DC.

Ex has now backtracked, has contacted a lawyer and now wants a lot more money. He says he will force me to sell the house.

It's causing a lot of stress as I really don't want to move the DC away from their home and friends. They have had a really hard time of it recently. My solicitor says my ex would have to get a court order to make me sell, and even then a family court would be unlikely to force the sale. Solicitor says I could then sell when youngest DC is 16, and Ex would get his share of equity then.

I just wondered if anyone had experienced similar, and if so were they able to stay in the home?

Do the children really need to move away from friends? Couldn't you buy in the same area?

Put yourself in your ex's shoes for a minute - you are offering him an option of either (a) taking far less money than he is entitled to, making it much harder for him to start afresh, and potentially much harder to afford a decent home for himself and the children (he has to be able to accommodate them too); or (b) getting absolutely nothing for the next 8 years, before you finally agree to give him what he is entitled to.

It sounds as though you could still afford a decent home for you and the children while also giving him what he's entitled to. There would be disruption in a move, and it's understandable that you're worried about the effects of that on the children. Some disruption is jnevitable when you decide to separate - but the more you can treat one another decently and fairly, the less conflict there will be. And it is the conflict that is truly harmful to children.

In his shoes, would you agree to what you're offering? Would you feel that the two choices you're offering were reasonable?