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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.

Feeling guilt over finances

4 replies

PatButchersEarring · 02/01/2024 16:02

Hi.

I have made the decision to separate from my husband after just 18 months of marriage. We have been together 16 years and have 2 children together.
I am separating because of his bad moods, temper and drinking. These issues are probably related. It seems cyclical in that things can be good- great even- for periods, but during times of (his) high stress, he can be awful. Sullen, non communicative, negative..but this has been topped by several 'outbursts'. The most recent saw him shouting at me to 'fuck off to bed.'

In the past (although several years ago) he has also physically intimidated me by purposefully getting 'in my face' during an argument to silence me.

More worryingly, he has also been (mildly?) aggressive towards our teenage daughter on occasion. Yet, in between times, he can be lovely. The incidents with our daughter have been since we married (I think purely because of her age/teens pushing boundaries) and I think these incidents and the recent incident of him telling me to 'fuck off' have triggered memories of other incidents over the years and I am now at a point of feeling unable to continue in a relationship with him.

My issue is that he is being exceptionally reasonable about separating- saying he will get anger management and help for his drinking. He is also buying a flat for him to live in...but I feel so guilty.

He comes from a fairly well off family and as a result, has put a lot more into the pot than me- although I have also sold property, worked and made good business decisions...yet I hate the idea of relying on 'his' money in the form of equity in the house. It's almost as if his reasonableness is making it worse.

I would just like to separate and not be reliant on his historic 'family money', but realistically this is tied up in the family house.

I have not yet sought legal advice.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom?

TIA

OP posts:
millymollymoomoo · 02/01/2024 17:04

Well you can agree finances between you and don’t have to take any of his family money or agree he takes more share etc to reflect that if you wish

althiugh married short time you’ve been together a long time so that should also reflect in settlement

Floopani · 02/01/2024 17:44

Watch and wait. You've said yourself that he goes in cycles of reasonableness and then confrontation, so why would it be any different this time.

Be careful that your guilt doesn't cause you to make poor decisions. You should definitely seek legal advice. If he has done all the things he has done in the past to guilt you into being a certain way, I wouldn't trust that this isn't what he is doing right now.

PatButchersEarring · 02/01/2024 17:57

Thank you both.

Yes, I think I need legal advice. He is currently resisting the mediation route as I think a) he's still thinking he can win me round, and b) he's saying he can't cope with it at the moment.

But for my peace of mind, I would like to see how finances could work- and yes, preferably in a way that somehow I am not relying on his family money...but that I don't have to sell the family home.

It's all very difficult as I'm trying to balance what I believe to be 'right' against what I and the kids need to live.

@Floopani and yes...I can't help but think I may also need to bide my time for this reason.

OP posts:
millymollymoomoo · 02/01/2024 18:30

Whether you can keep the fmh will depend on

equity available
ability to pay the mortgage and bills
ability to buy him out any share

your split will largely be based on both your respect earning potential ( not just what you both earn currently)
housing needs ( largely equal)
any other assets inc pensions and whether there’s any trade off ( eg more equity, less pension etc)

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