me leaving the marital home, a bad idea?

[needthistowork]

Dh and I are separating. I want to move out with DC. H will pay mortgage but no maintenance.

And the house will go up for sale

No, don't do it.

Where will you live?
If you've moved out and left him in the FMH he will have no incentive to get on with marketing it.
Why can't he move out? Why should the DC be uprooted?

I'm don't like the house, I would rent one round the corner . Our house would need to be on the market for me to get housing benefit. But just heard about interest payments for mortgages, so need to look into that

Wouldn't bother going down the route of mortgage interest payments, that is only if you are on Jobseekers allowance, only kicks in after 13 weeks and only lasts a year if I recall. It is intended as a stop-gap for people who lose their job.

For single parents there is only help with housing costs if you are renting. Not fair, but unfortunately we have to take what we can get. Even HB isn't without its problems and may well change in the future if the government get their way, so you need to get the finances sorted with H asap. He can't choose not to pay maintenance - its your legal entitlement to have some financial help with raising the children and you can take him to court to make sure he pays it.

When STBXH and I were seperating, we lived together in the marital home for 7 months until it was sold (in fact I moved out the week before we exchanged contracts, and he moved out on the day).

We lived seperately with me having the main bedroom and him sleeping on the sofa. We did everything for ourselves (i.e clothes washing, ironing etc), but shared everything when it came to the children.

it was hard to start with, but it did get easier, and the fact that I only stayed in the same room with him whilst the DC were around made it alot easier. When the DC went to bed, I either went out to a friends house or up to the bedroom to read etc.

I wouldn't leave if I were you - as was mentioned earlier - it will give him no incentive to sell the property. Suggest that the house go on the market and that you either live together until it is sold, or that he moves out. Good luck x

Thanks for the replies. Look at the finances and we can't afford to live apart. So have to live together till it sells. But after that don't know how we will afford 2 houses.

I know I need a job but was made.redundant and baby is now 6 months, I had started to look for work but not even had an interview

If your baby is 6 months you will get lots of financial support - you can get a big chunk of Income Support until baby is at school, then you can work part time around school hours and get tax credits.