Where to go for financial advice re split?

[Teeteringonthebrink45]

I want to get my ducks in a row to leave a very unhappy relationship (verbal and emotional abuse, generally unkind to me and the children and there is no love left from me.) He doesn't know how I feel and I think will be shocked if I ever get how guts to do it, but I am under no illusions that it will be easy (emotionally, practically or financially).
We are not married, bought a house together, on which I was coerced into signing that he owns 75% and I own 25% 🤦‍♀️ (fair enough he put a hefty deposit in, but this was sprung on me on the day it had to be signed.).

I work FT and am getting towards £50k income so not a church mouse (he is on about 2.5 times that) but our expenses are large (mortgage,
School, wraparound care) and we definitely feel like the squeezed middle.
The better news is that I have a buy to let property with a very small mortgage that's completely in my name. Moving there is not an option (it's not on our area). This gives me an extra income so ideally I'd like to keep it, but if I were to leave him and stay in the same area (London, and honestly need/want to stay where we are because of second language school) I assume I would need to sell my BTL house, or at least remortgage to enable me to house me and the DC.
Question is, where best to turn for financial advice? I know woman's aid etc is often referenced here but what I need is someone who can explain my options between selling my BTL, remortgaging, other finance options but also (moon on a stick) hopefully sensitive to the reasons for it all. Would i be best off getting legal advice first, or financial?

I'm in a stuck position because I don't feel brave enough to leave, know that at some point I will have to, but also don't know how I can afford to. If a professional person can paint me a picture of how I could manage it might just give me the courage to leave (or not, haha). Any advice gratefully received (but please don't tell me to live in my buy to let, or to leave London, for many reasons neither is an option)

[Passmetheaero]

Could you afford to buy him out of the current family home? Or if not, would you want to buy straight away, or rent?

[Teeteringonthebrink45]

@Passmetheaero

Could you afford to buy him out of the current family home? Or if not, would you want to buy straight away, or rent?

Sadly not in a million years (and doubt he could afford to stay in this house without me either). I would really rather buy if at all possible but really need advice to see if it's feasible.

[LemonTT]

There isn’t much legal advice needed. You own 25% of the family home. When it is sold and the mortgage paid off along with fees you get 25% of what is left. I doubt a claim of coercion would go anywhere because you didn’t put in the same deposit and an unequal split didn’t disadvantage you.

This along with anything you get from the BTl and personal savings can be used to fund your new property. A mortgage adviser can tell you what that will buy you. A financial adviser will tell if this is the best option or if you should keep the btl. There may be other things you can do to keep and build your capital.

You also need to thing about other income you may have access to. For example benefits and child support. This might bolster your borrowing levels. Child support would be difficult to predict if you haven’t talked about co parenting.

[Teeteringonthebrink45]

Thank you @LemonTT - so what you've said is I don't need legal advice as that part is straight forward, whereas on the financial side I could do with some input - that's more or less what I thought but you've put it really clearly so thank you. In cloud cuckoo land I want to be able to leave and get a new home for me and the children without waiting to sell our current home but I suppose that's unrealistic. Total fantasy is to do a flit but that's also not an option with my financial position!!

[BookShop]

A good financial adviser will be able to talk you through the practicalities of options. There are choices open to you that you may not have considered.

[Crazycrazylady]

As above. It's all fairly straightforward as you weren't married you won't get a share of his other assets as opposed to your jointly owned house. You will be entitled to child maintenance as well so put that into the cms calculator to see what that looks like.

Maybe he'll find the money to buy you out . Might be more straightforward.