What would you do

[Ziapumpkin]

Twenty years ago when I was young and foolish I got married.
he broke my heart and it ended horribly and I ran away travelling and never went back.

a couple of years after I left my dad called me to say I had received divorce paperwork in the post and where should he forward it on? I just couldn’t face it so ignored it and then a little while later got a remote job at sea and we never discussed it again.

fast forward to last year and my long term partner and I decided to get married so I started trying to locate my long lost husband to sort out a divorce. He was in the military and was shaping up to be a career soldier when we were together and I’m guessing he followed through because he is IMPOSSIBLE to find.

All of out mutual contact fell by the wayside eons ago so I asked my now very elderly dad to help try and figure out a way to find him.

my dad very guiltily admitted that he had forged my signature on the divorce papers to get this guy out of my life once and for all. He thought that it was all too painful for me to deal with (true) and it was very unlikely I would get married again and need to find out (also true)

im not mad at my dad but for the last 12 months this has really been playing on my mind.

ive contacted the centre for registriy and have got my final divorce certificate- but am I actually legally divorced if I never signed the paperwork?

what would happen to my Dad?
what if my ex is remarried- is he now a bigamist?

we had bought a house together all those years ago and I guess at the back of my mind was always, one day il get in touch and sort that out- do I have any claim if we’ve been divorced for so long?

part of me wants to let sleeping lions lie, but another part of me feels like I’m still married and can’t go through with marrying my current partner if I know my divorce was fake?
What would you do

Yes this. I would be wanting to ensure financial agreement was in place. You can be divorced but if there’s no financial order my understanding is that you/they can still make a claim towards one another because the financial ties aren’t severed. Seek some legal advice. But honestly, beyond confirming that so you know there are no ongoing ties, I would move forward and get on with your life.

Your dad is a hero.

You’re divorced. Forget it and move on.

I know nothing about the law but you ran away? Even if your ex still has the house after 20 years I think you would be a cf to try and get money out of it. The organisation of potentially renting it out, fees, upkeep, etc will have cost him money and he may come after you for half. You admitted yourself it was in negative equity when you did a runner, you left him completely in the lurch not know how to contact you and you knew he wanted a divorce but ignored,I actually think this is a wind up..

I know nothing about the law but you ran away? Even if your ex still has the house after 20 years I think you would be a cf to try and get money out of it. The organisation of potentially renting it out, fees, upkeep, etc will have cost him money and he may come after you for half. You admitted yourself it was in negative equity when you did a runner, you left him completely in the lurch not know how to contact you and you knew he wanted a divorce but ignored,I actually think this is a wind up..