My husband and I are separating but not divorcing. His health is very poor and sadly he may not live another ten years, therefore it seems pointless to divorce at this stage and spend thousands on solicitors.
Also, due to his poor health it would all seem like too much of an upheaval and would probably mean having to sell the family home to split the finances. No third party involved on either side.
I have decided to move out and I'm now currently saving to be able to rent somewhere hopefully within a couple of months. Without my income he should be entitled to UC and other benefits (according to the entitled to website) and therefore be able to afford to live here on his own. We have two daughters, one in secondary school and the other still in primary. We would like for them to share their time between us, ideally 50/50 but of course this depends on his health as well. We haven't told the kids yet but have slept in separate rooms for a few years so would think the older one at least suspects something.
Has anyone else moved out of the family home to a rental and how did it work out? I can probably only afford a two bed flat but I'm happy to downsize.
Should I continue to pay half of the mortgage? Does moving out impact my rights to the house? Luckily the mortgage is fairly small and in both of our names.
At what stage can he apply for UC? Does he have to wait until I have physically moved out before he can apply?
Should we get some sort of separation agreement in place?
Anything else practical to consider?