Legally can I change the locks?

[Quadrophenia]

Need to do something, xp name on mortagge can i change them?

Nope, he can change them right back

if the house is jointly owned by you both, which it sounds like it is, then unfortunately you cannot legally change the locks. If you do, he will be able to use reasonable force to change them back as long as he provides you with a new key.
you need to get on and deal with the financial position with regards to the house, ie buying out his interest and get it all resolved legally.

if one of the childrne has lost their set of house keys you can reasonably change the locks

Yes legally you can change the locks to your house - legally your exp may well be intitled to a key to the new locks

what the others said.

However I changed the locks here last year (after exH let himself in and took the computer), he only found out a month or so back when I was doing a table top sale in the morning when he was due to pick the boys up. I told him I'd leave their stuff in the hallway and he could come and collect the key from me.

He told me he had a spare key........and I informed him he didn't.

Evidently he hadn't tried to let himself in again.

feel like a sitting duck

you ok Quad??

not really no

You can have a dead lock fitted to a wooden front door for extra security if you are feeling nervous about being on your own in the house at night and that way you can lock the dead lock when you go out as well in case of burglary......

Of course you would never denie your ex access to the house - would you...

what's happened?

he strolls in and out whenever he feels like it, yesterday he punched me in the head because I told him not to use his key in the back door as it breaks the lock

Tell the police Quad.

Have you reported it? He's not allowed to do that, it's against the law.

I can't do it, have thought about it

Why, does it freak you out? Or are you worried about getting him into trouble?

Are you alone Quad? Could someone come and be with you?

• he punched you in the head!

bloody hell, please report him,

He punched you in the head?! You poor thing. I think you need a restraining order. Is there someone with family law experience here who knows what you need to do?

I don't know have tried to make the split as amicable as possible for the children am very scared of it all getting out of hand, he is a good dad, i know you've probably heard it all before but he is.
I have a friend coming to take my kids in a bit, I am going to bed, i can't cope

punching you in the head isn't amicable. Bloody hell even my ex didn't stoop that low.

Were the kids there when he punched you?

Quad you have a few options. The quickest (and cheapest!) is to contact the police and report him for assault. If he is arrested and charged hopefully his bail conditions will include that he cannot return to the house. If the house is in your joint names you will then need to get on to a family lawyer to resolve the outstanding issues regarding this, ie you buying him out or it being sold (if he will agree to sell you can just use a conveyancing solicitor)
if you don't want to go to the police (as you don't want him getting a criminal record for whatever reason) your other possible option is to apply for a non-molestation/occupation order through the family courts. These are essentially types of injuction which if granted by the court will order him not to harass/assault you in any way (non-molestation order) and not to return to the house (occupation order)
please seek help Quad, you can't live like this

they didn't see, he is cleverer than that i had to walk into the room and pretend like nothing had happened and do my dd's hair

I am just worried that if you don't report it to someone, he will take that as carte blanche to come back and do it again whenever he feels like it.

Utter bastard.

Iknow I have to do somthing, I know i do but am so scared of everyting crumbling around me, I feel weak and needy and i don't like feeling this way

You do need to think forward. What if he starts making demands, tried to get the children to live with him, starts asking for unreasonable things....you will need this on record.
It's a really bad idea not to get it logged, you might really regret not doing it one day.

You really do need to report this and get it on record. Have you been in touch with Women'sAid? They are very good about this sort of thing.
Of course, as someone else said, if one of the DC loses a set of keys then you would need to change locks for security reasons and you could just not give him a key, whil applying for injunctions etc.