I need advice. I’m in complete bits, but it’s a long story so please read!
married my husband in 2019. He was coercive and abusive during our marriage. In February 2021 we sold our marital home and went to separate homes. I had to take out a help to buy loanas he had so many debts he couldn’t release the deposit I had put in (£100k from my own funds).
In feb 2022 he arrived at my house and beat me. Throwing me against a wall by my throat. Long story short is he was convicted of assault by battery and harassment in October 2023. He lost his job and is in financial hardship. He was a high earner £158k while I was with him) but in debt. I paid the £100k deposit and £10k stamp duty on our first house together. I also paid off around £30k of his debt he accrued during our marriage. We have no children together. I was part time while we were together and he paid the mortgage and I paid the bills. The money I had was from my previous marriage and was not accrued during our short marriage.
When I left I only had £15k from the sale of our house. He took the other £85k into the house he bought. I had to pay a solicitor £2k to get that money back from him. And I got it in September 2022. £85k which will cover my help to buy and a debt to my mother who leant me the deposit I needed to buy my home.
Tonight I came home to a letter saying he had started ‘sole divorce’ proceedings. In that letter it tells me he is applying for financial order against me. He has debts, no house, no savings and no pension. The opposite to me. I have savings consisting of the £85k he repaid as I am preparing to pay back my help to buy. I also have a pension and a small amount of savings.
My question is, will he get money from me? I am petrified. I have two children (not his) work two jobs to have a life for us and I want nothing from him. He took so much from me during our marriage that I do not want him to take anymore. Despite being a high earner, he was always in debt and had secret credit cards which he took out after I paid off his other ones. I was earning £24k when we were together but had savings from my previous marriage. He took all of them bar £5k which I used to move house.
can someone advise me. I have a deadline of 3rd jan to respond to the divorce and I don’t know what he is applying for in the financial order. I want a clean break consent as I want nothing from him. He has nothing to lose and I have everything to lose. I’m petrified.