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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

I'm living a nightmare. Please help!!

15 replies

Dontmeantomoanbut · 20/10/2022 17:52

Sorry if this is long. I'm actually keeping alot of info out so it doesn't go on for ages because the backstory goes on forever when writing about it all. But I will answer any questions if it's relevant.

My ex husband is a narcissist. It's frightening how unhinged he is. We share a 3 and a half year old child.
I left him January 2021. Due to loads of reasons of his doing, we are now only negotiating finances through my solicitor which has cost me thousands as he has refused to get one.

I was going to issue court proceedings in April 2022 but then I was hit with a crap circumstance.

My landlord is selling the property me and my child moved into march 2021, after fleeing our family home and moving to my parents for 3 months.
It is our home. Its our safe place. Renting in this area has become impossible and I can't get anywhere else.
My landlord had offered to sell me the property at a discount (which reflects the extra that I would get out of my divorce settlement if I was to take my ex to court over the finances). My ex is refusing to budge on what he will settle on. He refuses to disclose assets and from what i know he has, he looks to walk away with double in cash value then he has offered me.
So in order to not have to move back to my parents and disturb my childs life again, I chose to try and buy our home from my landlord with a family members help.
I only work part time and pay the nursery fees myself. Child doesn't start school till September 2023.

However, he argues everything with my solicitor, refuses to get independent legal advice and after I've paid to have the whole consent order drawn up, he is arguing again. My solicitor has openly admitted she rarely has to deal with people of his nature. He is that bad.

But now, because of how long this is all taking, the interest rates are rising to the point that I will struggle to afford the mortgage. We haven't locked into a mortgage deal yet because I can't do anything formal until the clean break order is issued and the money is released.

I will be walking away with just enough to put down as the deposit. I will have nothing left for a rainy day. I can't work more hours as I have my son and it wouldnt be worth it with the nursery fees. I'm self employed also so it isn't as easy as me just picking up overtime. I have to build my clientele.

And now because there looks to be a crash in the market, the original discount my landlord has offered me will no longer be a discount. The value of the property looks to drop to that anyway.

My ex is walking away with enough cash to put down as a deposit on a house with his and his girlfriends full time incomes. He walks away with a £15,000 car he bought with the £9000 he had in his account when I left him. He is living at his parents currently paying minimal rent. He's had a hair transplant and has just got back from a nice holiday abroad. He has all of his pensions. No child care responsibilities. He drops our child when it suits him to go do the things he wants to do.

The amount of things that have taken place whilst all of this has been going on has just about broken me.

I'd decided that even if the worst case scenario was to happen (I settle on what he's offered me which I then can't go back on, I can't buy my flat due to the current climate and I end up back living with my parents) atleast I can say I fought to keep that roof over our heads.

I do not want to be married to this arsehole any longer or have any financial ties and the idea of now issuing court proceedings and voluntarily giving up the chance of buying our home feels me with dread. Court is going to take another 12-18 months.

I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place.

I know asking strangers on the Internet seems weird but just any comments of advice or you're own journey's would be welcome.

Thankyou for reading.

OP posts:
LeMoo · 20/10/2022 17:57

God I'm so sorry you're going through this!

If you can, I would hold out for the full divorce settlement and don't take less than you're owed. You'll miss the house in the short term but I don't think you'll regret it long term (speaking from experience).

gogohmm · 20/10/2022 18:00

You need to take him to court, the judge can insist on full financial disclosure, his girlfriend's income is irrelevant though

Dontmeantomoanbut · 20/10/2022 18:04

@LeMoo thankyou for your advice. I burst Into tears reading your post (as I do on a regular basis) because it just hits me how shit it all is. I can't begin to explain how everything, all the things that could go wrong have gone wrong for me. And yet for him everything just falls in his lap. How can this be happening?
All I want to do is keep our home. But I also don't want to walk away with no means to start again when he has every chance too.
He was and still is financially abusive aswell. I've given up in believing in karma

OP posts:
Dontmeantomoanbut · 20/10/2022 18:07

My solicitor has been advising not to go to court as she believes the costs involved will mean I walk away with not alot more. I've already spent £5000 on trying to negotiate with him just so I can buy our home.
We do not have hundreds of thousands to split. We have about £75,000.

OP posts:
LeMoo · 20/10/2022 18:07

I wish I could give you a hug, I know its hell.

You'll find another home, home is the place you make it after all - I know you're desperate for peace and a feeling of security. You'll have much more though if you're in a good position financially.

Don't let him bully you.

Can you move back in with your parents for a while if you need to?

LeMoo · 20/10/2022 18:08

I don't advise going against your solicitors advice, obviously, but stand up to him as long as you can.

Umbellifer · 20/10/2022 18:10

No solution @Dontmeantomoanbut just a big hug as I’m in a very similar situation xx

Dontmeantomoanbut · 20/10/2022 18:16

Thankyou so much for the virtual hugs. Crikey so i need it. Sorry to anyone going through or had been going through similar. Is there a light at yhe end if the tunnel?
Yes we can move back to my parents but it will mean me and my child sharing a room, the loss of my independence and the uproot of my child's life. They live a fews towns over from us. I'm meant to be choosing his school in the next couple months and I have no idea what to do.

I know a home is what you make it but eith the current climate, I have no idea how long it would take for us to be in a position for us to buy again. Or even rent at that matter.
Family member that was helping me was only able to help at this moment in time. It isn't something he can do next year for example

OP posts:
Notmyyearthisyear · 20/10/2022 18:26

How experienced is your solicitor? If she is relatively experienced, follow her advice. Unfair as it sounds, there isn’t enough in the pot to warrant a lengthy court battle UNLESS you qualify for legal aid. If you do, I’d go for it just to teach the bastard a lesson as you will get 50% of everything worst case scenario.
you said 75k cash which is not a lot if you consider a court battle could cost you tens of thousands, but if other assets are involved (pensions, equity etc.) it might be worth it even without legal aid, but you’d need a very experienced solicitor who knows how to make your husband see sense immediately rather than drag you through courts.
stay strong x

Pixiedust1234 · 20/10/2022 18:27

Im confused, just how much will it cost for a judge to make a final decision, and compare it to ex continuing in this way for years? You've already spent £5k negotiating with someone who won't negotiate. How much do you trust your solicitor?

Get the order drawn up. Get it in front of a judge who can enforce disclosures and can ensure it gets signed by ex. Take away his power so you can live again. Surely that is worth spending a bit on.

I'm sorry but I think you have lost this house because your solicitor and ex are both faffing around. Hopefully there will be a better one in your future

Dontmeantomoanbut · 20/10/2022 19:39

My solicitor is very experienced. She's been wonderful. The only thing is it has taken her time to respond sometimes which has dragged this out longer then needed but from what I've heard, no solicitor is great at this. She doesn't come cheap though. She has done her best to save me as much as possible as I don't qualify for legal aid. Well in a sense I do but there are no companies taking on legal aid clients in our area as they are at capacity regularly. Trust me I tried.

So we have about £73,000 in cash to split.
From the sale of our home and in the joint account.
He is offering me about 60% of that in cash whilst he takes the 40%. But this isn't including his pensions, cash in his bank account that he bought a fancy car with and had his hair transplant with. And all the money in his account now that he's been saving since paying minimal rent to his parents. His full time job and no childcare responsibilities or nursery fees.

It didn't seem like an awful offer if I could have put that money Into buying our home but now, with the interest rates and the trouble with lenders, I look to not be able to buy our home, back at my mums with 60% of the cash/equity and a part time job.
He has enough for a deposit for a house with his girlfriend. His fancy car etc etc and his pensions all intact.
He won't disclose his pension values but I know there is a minimum of about £40,000 in there. Most of which was paid in during our relationship.
He also knows that I paid £5000 extra into our home when we first bought it which he always promised to give back but now isn't including that. That was money my dad received after having a huge heart attack 20 years ago and was kinda my early inheritance to get me on the property ladder.
And now with the £5000 I've already spent on solicitors which he's not spent a penny on, I'm already walking away £10,000 down

OP posts:
Pixiedust1234 · 20/10/2022 20:13

I'm so sorry. I have a bad feeling this is what will happen to me, but from reading other divorce threads - if he won't disclose his pension or savings you have two options. Either accept he never will and work on what's in front of you or get a judge to enforce disclosure. You've reached a crossroads and you have to make a decision that you won't regret ( much). Your solicitor can't force him, neither can appealing to his better nature. So...walk away or a judge?

HappyHedgehog247 · 20/10/2022 20:19

What’s happening with child maintenance? They can take this into account sometimes in case that helps with mortgage application. Is there a risk you will also have a battle over child contact? If so a court order can be very helpful. This will be over. The sooner you’re free the better :)

Dontmeantomoanbut · 20/10/2022 20:30

@Pixiedust1234 sorry to hear that.
In all honesty, if thus can be a support thread for anyone else going through similar then I'm happy for that. I've learnt so much along the way, theres not alot that hasnt happened to me during this process so I will help anyone else if I can.
I have noone in real life that is going through my situation so its nice to talk to others that are.

We go through CMS for child maintenance as he refused to pay me that too. It is taken into account with the mortgage application but I don't get alot. £53 a week. More than others I know but it doesn't really touch the sides these days.

I am a survivor of domestic abuse too. I've done courses and have learnt so much so if I can help anyway, please just ask.
I'm in noway recovered but I fight everyday for a better life. I know there will come a time I can sit back and breathe. But at the moment it feels like a long way away

OP posts:
DumpedByText · 20/10/2022 20:39

This needs to go to court. My friends ex offered her a paltry £20k divorce settlement and £200 CM a month. She held out as they had £100k equity in their house, he is a high earner and had a large amount of savings. She got £90k and £500 CM, He was court ordered to prove finances and the judge kept refusing to stamp his ridiculous offers until he was happy. Don't give in to him, you deserve a good life for you and your boy.

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