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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Split from H - 6 weeks later & Not much has changed

27 replies

Balders74 · 18/02/2015 01:05

Hi all. I posted at the beginning of Jan that I had told my H that I wanted to end our marriage. He did not take it well, it came as a complete shock apparently (although to no one else!). He is moody, critical, controlling, freeloading & I'd had enough.

Fast forward 6 weeks & we are all still living in the same house. I am still sharing a bed with our DD because "why should he sleep on the sofa, it was my decision so I should suck it up"! We have good days when we get on ok & can have a conversation & bad days when neither of us can stand the sight of each other.

He has said he can't move out until he is financially secure. This has been a bone of contention for the last four years when he started his own business & then sat on his arse & let me pay for everything. So now he needs to be financially secure!!! I've asked him how long he thinks that will take, given the last 4 years of inactivity & he can't tell me.

Last week he went to see some houses, because he couldn't consider getting a flat as "he doesn't tolerate others well"! I know he applied for 1 house but we then had a row after I dared to ask too many questions & was told it is none of my business. Only that he is living here without contributing at all but gets a right cob on if I say he is freeloading.

I have been to see a solicitor who sent him a letter, he didn't talk to me for 3 days after getting it & when he eventually did, because I had changed the wifi password & he accused me of sabotaging his business by denying him wifi(!!), he was so angry he was white & shaking. It is because he doesn't like not being in control of the situation. In the middle of this one our dogs had to be put to sleep & we were both very upset. At one point I tried to comfort him by giving him a hug & he said through gritted teeth "don't touch me". The hate was almost tangible.

I have tried making things uncomfortable. I hid the tea bags, stopped doing his washing, changed the wifi password etc but it just makes life uncomfortable for me & the DC when he is stomping about being moody.

So at the moment it appears I am just going to have to wait for him to go. There is nothing I can do legally. Although as he mainly communicates via the DC I may not find out until he actually goes!

I have started making plans for the house. I've bought a new bed and told him I don't want the one we shared, he can take it. I've told him he can take the sofas as I hate them.

The hardest thing has been that his family have not contacted me in any way since I told them. They know what he is like & their relationship wasn't great because of his behaviour. I was really close to them, it took me a long time to tell him I wanted to split because I didn't want to hurt his Mum. I didn't even get a text when we lost the dog & they know how heartbroken I would have been.

So 6 weeks later, lots of ups & downs, I don't regret my decision as he has proven time & time again in these 6 weeks that I made the right decision although probably about 5 years too late!!! Really hope there is some movement soon.

OP posts:
Mom2K · 18/02/2015 01:35

Stay strong - onward & upward! Can't imagine how difficult it is to still be in the same house now that you've started divorce proceedings. Hopefully he'll get out soon...or someone will come along with advice on how to get him out if possible. Flowers

Greenrememberedhills · 18/02/2015 05:05

He won't move out. Why would he? H

Do you own or rent?

MinceSpy · 18/02/2015 05:47

Why should he move out? This is a divorce he doesn't want for whatever reason.
You need to start making plans to move you and the children, do you rent or own. You don't mention their ages but how will DC and H feel about you splitting them up.
Buying new furniture for this house is premature. Stop, if you haven't already, doing his laundry and meals, keep your food locked away, present him with half the bills for utilities and Wi-Fi. If you pay these bills and he doesn't contribute then change the WiFi password.
He has as much right to live there as you do but he has to fund himself and contribute to the cost of the DC.

Nolim · 18/02/2015 06:07

Hiding the tea bags? Charming!

aprilanne · 18/02/2015 06:48

sorry but you are being childish hiding teabags .he does,nt have to move .as of free loading .surely when you were together it was joint household income .i have always been asahm .does this mean i am a free loader .if i was your hubby i would,nt move either sorry .if you want a divorce YOU move simple as that .

Sickoffrozen · 18/02/2015 07:08

Aprilanne. He sounds like a freeloader to me. I assume you agreed between you to be a sahm? You didn't just say one day " fuck this, I'm giving up working and going to sponge off my husband." He has basically said he is going self employed and then done zero by the sounds of it to actually make it work!

If he won't move out though, I would. You are doing the right things as he sounds like a waste of space to me. Don't do the comforting bit. Gives out misleading messages.

Vivacia · 18/02/2015 07:17

We really need to know the housing situation to be able to advise, I think.

Fairylea · 18/02/2015 07:19

If you have a mortgage on the house and he is not contributing and you are the primary carer for the children do not move out. As tempting as it is when it gets to court generally the court will agree to you remaining in the family home. The only thing you need to be careful of is that he doesn't become seen as the primary carer because he is unemployed (is that correct? Despite trying to start up his buisness?) because then the shoe will be on the other foot. In that situation you may be better looking for somewhere to rent with your dd and forcing the sale of the house.

You need to go back to your solicitor and keep pushing. For now I wouldn't do anything else like hiding teabags and whatever else. Just continue to make it clear you need to separate and remain as separate as possible while still civil.

aprilanne · 18/02/2015 07:42

point taken sickoffrozen .

Anniegetyourgun · 18/02/2015 07:48

Thing is, it's no good waiting for him to get sick of the horrible atmosphere and move out. He's proved he can tolerate a horrible atmosphere better than you can (and cause one, hence why you are divorcing). Keep working on the legal aspects...!

JenniferGovernment · 18/02/2015 08:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MinceSpy · 18/02/2015 08:52

Jennifer I get that morally he should but legally he has no obligation to move out. OP needs to stop letting him freeload.

Walkacrossthesand · 18/02/2015 08:57

It's not a question of 'hiding teabags' is it - OP is buying all the food and drink and her freeloading STBX either needs to contribute, which he isn't doing, or get his own. Ergo, she has to take steps to prevent him helping himself. Is there a cupboard in the kitchen that you can fit a lock to?

Nolim · 18/02/2015 08:58

Op i suggest to find a way to communicate with stbxh that doesnt involve dc. It is not fair to them.

Balders74 · 18/02/2015 09:09

Thank you for all your replies. To clarify a few points, he decided to start the business without talking to me about it & I have support us ever since. I was supportive because it was something he felt he needed to do but after four years of no action, being defensive about it whenever I asked how it was going I'd had enough.

We own the house jointly as far as the law is concerned. However, when we moved in 11 years ago he lost his job the month after and so started a number of years of him being in & out of employment with him eventually deciding he couldn't work for anyone else & starting the business. In that time he only contributed when he was employed & we ended up in debt.

The DC are 14 & 9. I have told H that if he has no intention of moving then we will. I managed to find a house that would allow the dogs. I told spoke to him about selling the house. That was the reason he started looking at houses because I said that I would move out & leave him to pay for our house while it sold. He can't afford to do that. He has now said he doesn't want to sell the house & is looking for somewhere to go.

As for being the primary carer, I can only say HA! He is not proactive with the kids, although he has got better since the split & is making an effort not to just shout at them all the time. I work full time, from home & I have always been the primary carer of kids & dogs.

I told him a few weeks ago that while he is here he should pay £100 pw but he has ignored that. I have stopped buying him food, I did put the teabags back, I admit I was feeling particularly miffed that day Blush.

If we leave the house then it will get repossessed because I can't pay for a rented house & the mortgage and he doesn't have enough income to pay for everything related to the house. He knows this.

As for how the DC feel about the split, DD (14) is happy because he has been horrible to her for years. The kids were a major catalyst for making the decision to split, I want them to realise that it was not normal & I don't want DD to end up marrying a man like her father because she thinks it is normal to be treated badly. DS (9) was upset but realises that we will be happier when he has gone. As he put it "no more shouting all the time" Sad

DD desperately wants us to move. We live in a small village & she has to rely on me to take her places. She wants us to move to the town she goes to school in. She also wants to have her bed yo herself again!

Hopefully that has made things a bit clearer. At the moment I'm going to tough it out but every day is different!!

OP posts:
Balders74 · 18/02/2015 09:19

One other point - I have told him not to use the kids to communicate. I tend to find out if he is staying out overnight via the kids because he says he won't be here to them not me.

In the beginning he was involving DD far too much, which is ironic given that she is not too fond of him. When I told him to stop he told her that she shouldn't be telling me what they talk about!

He also asked her once if she wanted him to move out then he would give up the business & get a crappy job (his words). Of course she said no, although later told me she wanted to say yes but felt guilty. I was livid that he would put that decision on her.

OP posts:
Nolim · 18/02/2015 10:09

Op well done for standing up. That he tries to guilt trip dc regarding his housing/work situation speaks volumes about him.

littleleftie · 18/02/2015 11:07

I am not clear from this if you have instigated divorce proceedings or not? The fact your solicitor has sent him a letter is all very well but have you lodged a petition yet?

To be honest, with his history, a divorce may be the only way of getting him out.

If you jointly own the house and he doesn't pay the mortgage if you moved out, it could fuck up your credit rating so I really wouldn't advise that.

Balders74 · 18/02/2015 11:56

I have not instigated divorce proceeding yet, which is mainly a financial issue, I can't afford to get the ball rolling. The letter was to show him that I am serious about the split. I think he was partly hanging around in case I changed my mind.

I really don't want to leave the house, it is a last resort because I know it would really muck up my credit record & I've only just got it ok again.

We could sell the house but it makes no financial sense. It is mortgaged to the hilt, no equity, I could not get another mortgage as I work as a contractor so would have to rent and pay twice what I am paying now.

I am going to try to talk to him tonight AGAIN about how his house hunting is going and prepare myself for his wrath, although it doesn't bother me as much now.

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 18/02/2015 12:05

He should go. He isn't contributing financially so why should he be sponging off you. I wouldn't call your arrangement at the moment a split. You need to get things going and see a solictor without delay. You're the one paying the mortgage so no way should you move out.

CoffeeBeanie · 18/02/2015 12:37

4 years of being "self employed" contributing nothing and unwilling to talk about it? You are a saint!

Miggsie · 18/02/2015 12:45

You do need to lodge a divorce petition, he seems a master of doing bugger all and letting you do everything - he won't actually DO anything over this, all the running will have to be up to you.

Divorcing is quite cheap - it's the solicitor's costs wrangling about financial settlements that takes the time.
I would get the solicitor to lodge a divorce as soon as possible.

Balders74 · 05/03/2015 12:53

OMG I have just had the BEST news!!! He has been approved for a house and his tenancy starts on 13th March!!!! I am sooooo happy!

I have found out this news by being sneaky so he doesn't even know yet, so I need to not be grinning when he comes home later!

Only 1 more week and he will be gone - hoooorrraaahhhh!

He actually had the cheek to tell me the other day that if I didn't pay his credit card he couldn't afford to move out. I just laughed in amazement. I have been paying £250 a month for God knows how long, that is not the minimum payment that is what he wanted paid off it. The solicitor advised me to stop & he is now saying he won't be making the next payment. Oh well, it's in his name so not my problem.

Not long now & we will be free!!!!!

OP posts:
pocketsaviour · 05/03/2015 13:51

Hooooray Balders! Cake Wine

FantasticButtocks · 05/03/2015 13:51

Wine hooray! Grin Pleased for you. Try to remember not to hum happy tunes until he has told you.

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