Money advice Seperating

[Hopeful22]

Hi, I've posted here before and Im slap bang in the middle of separating from my husband, mediation failed and I have a solicitor but I'm just looking for some advice of anyone who was in the same situation . I've contacted my solicitor about this but haven't heard back yet....
I've been the SAHM for 8 years, while husband worked full time. He would pay for everything obviously as I had no income. He would give me a personal allowance of €300 each month to get my hair done or buy clothes, go out, shopping coffee etc ... but I have no other access to joint account apart from to buy groceries for the family or put petrol in the car , up to a certain budget though, when that ran out we would have to pay half of the extra money that was spent ourselves.
Roll on the seperation , he has reduced my allowance to €200 a month and wants to stop it altogether. ( he is very controlling with money , this is only a bit of the story )
Had spoke to my solicitor about getting a maintenance order for spousal support, she said more judges are asking why isn't the mother working while the kids are at school. So I went out and got a part time job. I start after Xmas. Salary is very small approx €13k a year. My question is now, What do I do with my salary??
He is going to want me to pay towards the household. But my thoughts were , if he was to stop the €200 a month he gives me , which he will, then that money can be contributed to the house and the €100 he has docked me as well , that's €300 ... I'm just not sure what the norm is here ? Any advice appreciated.
I'm in Ireland, so thats why it's € 😉

You probably won't get many responses because the situation in Ireland will be different. The common law itself isn't that different (e.g. asset splits in favour of the weaker party etc) but because of factors like the benefits available are different the outcome could still vary a lot on what happens in England and Wales. Keeping someone out of undue hardship in Ireland could be quite different to the UK as a result.

In England and Wales for example, spousal maintenance has become rare because the core benefit - universal credit - is lost £ for £ on what is received in spousal. As a result, a lot of people don't have the ability to pay enough spousal for it to make any difference to the recipient. Child maintenance is calculated by a formula set by law, it might be different in Ireland. Etc.

Best to get advice in your jurisdiction.

Irish law is different but from an English perspective sahp's are expected to seek at least part time work from when their kids turn 5, full time from 12 for benefits purposes. Child maintenance is payable in most circumstances once you have split but spousal is only for long marriages and high incomes or specific circumstances (I do get it). A divorcing wife is expected to support themselves for the most part basically

Appreciate the responses, when we are living separately I fully intend to support myself as much as is humanly possible with whatever extra benefits I can get. But whilst we are still under one roof with me doing all his washing cleaning cooking etc .. I'm just wondering what I will be expected to give . But thanks for your advice anyway 🙏

Well stop doing all of that for him for starters - he doesn’t get to keep the benefit of having a wife while withdrawing financial support. Start the process of living separately now, I know in the UK you can make a claim for universal credit once you’re living separately - even if under the same roof. Don’t know if it’s the same for you. You should also start the split of childcare duties and maintenance payments etc

I know I was only doing it to keep it simple and to stop the kids asking questions ...yeah I think I can claim some credits while we are still living together but my salary versus his salary surely he should still be shouldering the majority of the bills/mortgage