Newly separated - how to find out options

[treasure47]

Husband and are separating. We'll wait until no fault divorce comes in next month but I'm just wondering about next steps. We have a joint mortgage on a house that we'd probably have to sell but we're still living together at the moment. If a 50/50 split of equity we'd each get about £20k. I work part time (24 hours) and we have an almost 3 year old.
I've had a look at universal credit and I think I'd be able to claim but would it have to be once we've started the legal divorce process?
Once the house has sold, how would I find out what my housing options were? I could rent but could I find out if I could get a small mortgage on my own, taking UC into account? How and at what stage (before or after selling home/claiming UC) would I find that out?

Just a bit unsure where to start to see what my financial situation would like look as a single parent, and what my options are.

I understand I'd probably have to increase my working hours too.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

You are separated if you've split up and you're not sharing money, doing the washing up, cooking meals, washing clothes etc
Claim UC now.
Each start paying your share of bills and work out the CMS he owes you.
There's nothing to stop you chatting to a mortgage broker to see what they could find you.

@PicaK

You are separated if you've split up and you're not sharing money, doing the washing up, cooking meals, washing clothes etc Claim UC now. Each start paying your share of bills and work out the CMS he owes you. There's nothing to stop you chatting to a mortgage broker to see what they could find you.

Thank you - do you need to provide some kind of proof that you're separated but still living together? We each have separate bank accounts and use a joint account to pay the mortgage and household bills - does that count as separate finances?

I got a mortgage about a month ago and am not yet divorced. We have our own accounts and a joint statement be, tho that’ll soon be closed. They didn’t ask for any proof of separation or anything to do with it really, just wanted to see the last three months bank statements for mine and the joint account.

@Another2022

I got a mortgage about a month ago and am not yet divorced. We have our own accounts and a joint statement be, tho that’ll soon be closed. They didn’t ask for any proof of separation or anything to do with it really, just wanted to see the last three months bank statements for mine and the joint account.

That's promising! So have you sold the marital home yet? I'm not sure if I could afford a mortgage on my own - possibly something under the shared ownership scheme though.

No, we’re lucky and the home doesn’t have to be sold until she wants to sell it. Hopefully that’ll be a way down the line though. I guess it would be more complicated if you’re using the funds from a sale of a house - though that’s what normally happens anyway so maybe not?