Amicable seperation

[riab]

Has anyone here managed a truly amicable seperation, one where you still act as partners in raising the kids etc and are good friends but just aren't in love/lust enough to stay together as a couple?

And on a more practical level what are the financial implications if you seperate (sep houses) but don't divorce? Would I be able to claim income support as soon as I moved out?

Yep! I did.
I worked so got working family tax credit kids spent slightly more time with me so he gave me an allowance for the kids and his share of the mortgage. (He moved out)

Eventually sold the house a few years down the line as I got married and split the proceeds 50-50. His logic was house prices were rising plus it was his kids home and was less disruptive to keep them there and he would eventually gain financially.

We are very good friends now, going to Centerparcs for ds' birthday together and he spends Christmas with us.

that sounds good!

Do you mind me asking - did you divorce straight away or when you met someone else? How do the kids deal with it? and how did you make the decision - did you go through counselling at all?

I wasn't married to him, we had been together for 13 years though!

Kids were fine they were 7 and 4, but their Daddy worked away a lot anyway hence the relationship breakdown really. They loved having a second house still do I think.

WE had had counselling for a couple of years and relate really helped us to understand that we had to part and helped us do it amicably. No solicitors at all other than for selling the house.