Separating after 10 years of marriage

[Bluewavescrashing]

DH and I have decided to split up. He wants me to stay in the house and have usual access to the joint account. He has the option to work away from home on expenses and will be doing this as much as possible. I'm not working due to health issues so I'll be taking the children to school and looking after them. He is an alcoholic but says he is sober at the moment.

Do we need to do anything official? At the moment we're just telling the children Daddy has to work away a lot. We have separate bedrooms and bathrooms at home.

Also, is it normal to feel hugely relieved and full of adrenaline, now I've made this decision? Euphoric, even? He is very angry with me but I feel like a massive weight has been lifted.

What will effectively change?

I'd say those feelings are normal when its you that wants to split. I just felt relieved and like a huge weight had been lifted when I split with STBEXH. I'd wanted it for a long time and had been checked out for years.

You can claim universal credit if you've split, even when still living together. I didn't know this until they told me themselves.

Well our relationship is over. He will only be here a couple of nights a week (will be away with work the rest of the time) and we have separate bedrooms. We spend time separately in the evenings, do our own dinner etc (I eat with the DCs, he has his dinner later.) I'm going to see a solicitor about how to proceed but he wants me to stay in the house for now.

I was on a high for a good couple of years after splitting with my ex. It still gives me a bit of a lift when I think back and am glad to be out of that mess actually.