The settlement - we both felt slightly stung which is probably a sign of a fair cut. We kept our pension arrangements, and he pays maintenance for the kids, on the nose, but not a penny more.
We had a clean break save for a nominal £1 a year (section 28 (1a) bar) - my barrister held out for hours for that, so if my income goes tits up again I can revisit the settlement. He absolutely fucking hates that.
I kept the house and equity, and that REALLY stuck in his craw, because he knew I hated the house but kept it for the kids, and argued that all day, via the briefs, that I needed consistency for the kids etc, which is true.
Im still in the house, but, the day it was signed over to me, I put it on the market and that sent him absolutely bonkers! I😂I was only interested in one particular house (😉with a moat)
which as it happened, I didn’t get, so I have no plans to move now, but it felt good to be able to make decisions for myself. I’ve had the interior redone, all dark and moody which I would never have been allowed to do.
Ive travelled more in the last year, with my lovely chap, than I’ve done in the 15 years previously. We laugh and snog and shag and laugh and sleep and eat and shag and laugh again! He arrived one weekend with his tool kit and did loads of jobs around the house that the ex forbade me from getting done. He arrived another time with a massive roast dinner, still hot, in a special bag! We are very very fortunate to have found each other.
Im still astounded at how controlling and entitled my ex was; how he felt he had the right to make literally every decision.
He looks like shit, he’s still smoking 20+ a day, the kids come back stinking, he doesn’t go out anywhere with them or do anything with them and they’re already less keen to go. It’s just easier and nicer to be at home and he’s so very boring.
I’ve lost 4 stone, am toned, I’ve had a bit of a facial tidy-up and I have weekly cbt to undo the damage that a shitty marriage and a shitty mother did. I am pretty close to being totally unfucked.
It feels very, very good!