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Step-parenting

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Husband’s ex seems to go out of her way to make EVERYTHING difficult

204 replies

MismatchedStripySocks · 16/04/2018 11:11

I mean everything. It’s so frustrating and wearing when all we want is to enjoy time with his kids but simple requests are met with a flat out NO!

Take for example DH offering to pay for DSS haircuts. This is after her continually sending him to us looking like he’s wearing a toupee with one side shaved at least 1.5 inches higher than the other at the sides. We have gone ahead and taken him to the barbers twice for a tidy up only to be met with abuse. If she’s cutting it herself for financial reasons, we are paying so what’s the problem?

We are taking the kids on holiday this summer but the holiday is on a Tuesday. Our weekend is the previous weekend. When we asked if we could just keep them til the Tuesday, we were told firmly they had to come home (230 round trip) They have no plans and will be sat at home yet it will cost us about £60 in fuel.

The woman is a nightmare and drives me nuts Angry

OP posts:
EllMae · 20/04/2018 10:07

@lalaoup1 I do agree with you and I have always respected my OH's ex. You have got to when moving forward but it always seems like you've got to be the bigger person, always got to let them get away with being crazy just to let you have an easier life.

I've never doubted staying with my partner, because like you I love him to bits and I love my step son to bits.. it is hard but the benefits are when you get to wake up with both of them next to you.

MismatchedStripySocks · 20/04/2018 10:56

I find it so hurtful when I have been nothing but respectful towards her but she calls me vile names. She has one particular one for me which she loves which is to do with a physical attribute over which I have no control. She taunts and mocks me yet I remain the bigger person. She on the other hand is at least 6 stone overweight and I have never said a word to her about that.

OP posts:
flamingofridays · 20/04/2018 11:13

Why do I stay? I feel like I'm in too deep to leave if I'm honest. Like I've invested too much time and effort to give up now. Also I obviously love dp or there woild be nothing keeping me here and we have a ds together and it would be unfair on him if we split up because of someone he doesn't even know or have anything to do with.

It's just pathetic. I'll be honest If i knew then what I know now i would have walked away the minute he told me he had children. Of we ever did split up I wouldn't see a man with kids again unless they were adults.

FlippingFoal · 20/04/2018 11:48

Here's a question, why do we stay? As normal, sane individuals, why do we tolerate this?

I think it's combination of being too stubborn to let her win and aware that if I stopped putting up with it DP and DSC would suffer

Magda72 · 21/04/2018 01:02

Weighing in late on this one but can identify with everything you guys have said.
I'm a exw & I hope I am a sane one! I was left for the ow but got my shit together for my own sanity & for the sake of my kids. I don't have a huge amount of respect for my exh but we have a good working relationship & his dp (the ow) is very good & kind to the kids for which I am very grateful.

But f**k, as a sm my life is a torture!
Tonight I am just worn out by dp's exw, his kids & his ongoing guilt about his/their situation. His exw behaves like his wife, his kids are on to him constantly to sort out problems between them & their mum (they are all teens), dp is emotionally exhausted from all this & physically exhausted from working nuts hours to pay huge maintenance to a woman who point blank refuses to work. And anytime I express concern for the fact that he does nothing for himself bar sit down & fall asleep in front of the tv as he's so tired I get given out to! I'm so sick of being blamed for a situation that I didn't create & I just cannot understand why they all (dp included) can't just move on! It's been years!!!!
At the moment I really feel like calling our impending wedding off & walking away.
Grrrrrrr.
Why do I stay?
Beneath all the crap dp is a very good man whom I love very much but I honestly don't think I can deal with his domestic fall out any longer.
I need gin! Shock

Magda72 · 21/04/2018 01:06

And yes a support group is badly needed! The Anti-BSCX support group!

RepealRepealRepeal · 21/04/2018 01:47

Totally into the support group idea. I naively thought that my DP's ex was the only one. I'm both glad for my own sanity that she isn't, but sad for everyone, because this is a special kind of hell.

DP's ex has been described as difficult and unreasonable by the courts, but absolutely batshit would be equally applicable.

She does all the cancelling contact, not showing up, ridiculous and vitriolic communication, while at the same time has asked the CMS to assess my income for her maintenance. Our solicitor said that it's unlikely to change. He said she can ask whatever she wants but that ultimately it isn't my responsibility. My DC are my responsibility, while hers are not. DP does pay maintenance, never misses a payment, and we also buy all their clothes, toys, etc. For when they're here. Despite this, she insists that she has to supply items because we either don't have them - which we do, or because she doesn't like what we have - coat, not a uniform coat, just for messing around in, was apparently the 'wrong blue'.

She's also said she fully expects spousal maintenance - not yet divorced as she hasn't met a court order she won't break and he can't take the case out of child court until it's more settled. She said that she will be applying for spousal support, again based on my income. DP isn't working ATM, as he had to resign due to the extensive amount of time off for court dates, and the stress of the situation. We've explained that he's on benefits, it was a short marriage and she was the higher earner, but her response was that if DP wouldn't pay it, repeal will have to, because she needs the money.

As for why I stay? He's the best person I've ever met. I love him. And I'm big enough to admit, I won't give her the satisfaction of thinking that she has the power or control over our relationship. The other two reasons are bigger, and more important, but that last one is in there too on a much smaller scale.

Charley50 · 21/04/2018 09:51

My DP's ex was also like this. Can't be arsed to go into details but her attitude and my DP's inability to challenge her caused massive problems throughout our relationship and has meant that he doesn't have a genuine relationship with his DD.

StepMum87 · 21/04/2018 10:45

I totally agree about a support group, it can be so frustrating when things are not going well and friends and family with no experience of these situations don't get it. They say that it can't be that bad, like we're exaggerating, or why don't we just go for full custody, like it's the easiest thing in the world and that it would make it stop. So reassuring to hear that not the only one.

NorthernSpirit · 21/04/2018 11:49

RepealRepealRepeal - highly doubtful the EX will be awarded spousal maintenance. It’s very rare now a days and only awarded in very high earning cases.

My OH’s EW tried for it. Wanted £9k a year for 11 years. Will the CM and all the benefits she was receiving she would of taken home the same as my OH. She refused to get a job (kids were 8 & 11). It was laughed out of court and she was told to get a job and start supporting herself. They had been married for 9 years and split up for 4 years by this point.

Doubtful she’d get it.

The sad thing is while the crazy EW’s behave in this way they aren’t moving their own lives on.

MismatchedStripySocks · 21/04/2018 11:50

The running theme seems to be that many of them (I definitely feel this about DH’s EW) feel that they still have some sort of ownership over them. This is fuelled by having their ‘ace card’ ie the kids. Until I got with DH I never appreciated what a weak position decent ex husbands with kids are in. If he doesn’t conform then she threatens him with no contact and sometimes goes through with it. It was a massive insult recently for her to take him to the CMS to ‘make things above board’ It was as if she was insinuating he was diddling her. Actually, they assessed her to have 2p less Grin

He didn’t bother changing the standing order but he at least felt vindicated.

OP posts:
flamingofridays · 21/04/2018 12:00

Yep dps ex still tries to control him because she is "his family". As far as I am concerned they share children and that's all. Same as if we split up we wouldn't be family either.

I am fairly certain she still loves him after all this time.

RepealRepealRepeal · 21/04/2018 13:06

NorthernSpirit, the solicitor said it's just a tactic to stress us out, and prolong things. She should know it's not going to go anywhere, but she just wants maximum chaos.

Today's contact has been cancelled because the DC are sick. They've got runny noses.

I think it's a little sad for them, that the enjoyment in their lives comes from trying to ruin their ex's. They can never be happy, or have a genuinely fulfilling relationship with anyone else because of the focus they put on their exes. Never mind what they're doing to their DC.

NorthernSpirit · 21/04/2018 14:21

@RepealRepealRepeal - just ignore any solicitors letters. Solicitors will it anything in writing that a paying client tells them.

My OH’s EW wanted spousal maintenance of £9k a year for 11 years. She stay in the FMH for 11 years and my OH pay the mortgage @ £6k a year. House would be sold when youngest was 18 (in 11 years) and she got 80%, she wanted £250 a month over the CMS amount, half of all his pensions and a £3k lump sum. She hadn’t worked for 12 years and refused to get a job. Apparently all mums who work are bad mums.

My OH offered her 3 deals which she wouldn’t entertain. It got to the 3rd heating and a judge decided - she didn’t get spousal maintenance (it was laughed out of court), she was told to get a job and start to support herself. She only got to stay in the house for 2 years and when it’s sold she gets 65%, she pays her mortgage in full and she got half of one pension. She got done for purgatory in court. When you get greedy it doesn’t pay! Tell you OH not to worry, judges realise that EH’sneed to be anole to afford to live and house themselves.

EllMae · 23/04/2018 11:13

I really don't understand why it is so hard to work and earn money? Am I right in saying that maintenance should go towards school clothe / school shoes? My OH pays a really decent amount of money to his ex but yet she still doesn't buy his DS any shoes / new clothing for school? We always get his hair cut, we pay for all of his swimming lessons, football lessons, school trips. I wouldn't mind because we would do anything for his DS but we pay her maintenance and she works 2 days a week (at a push)! Always out drinking, always buying new things, new fake nails etc.. so just looks like our money is going towards her and not DS.

The divorce is just going through the courts and then we are going to apply for a final decree nisi. When we are going through to sort the financials (getting OH off the mortgage) and sorting out child arrangements, how much on average would it be for a solicitor? I am really worried with our first child being born in Sept that his EW is going to rinse us for all the money we have

MismatchedStripySocks · 23/04/2018 15:01

I’m a SM and an EW (finally) getting maintenance after 5 years. My view from both sides is that maintenance is not just for clothes etc. It goes into the household budget to pay for the larger house we need to accommodate DS/more food/more utilities etc. If it was just me, I could probably pay no more than £600pcm all in for a house share. My step children don’t often get new clothes/shoes from EW, so I assume that her view on maintenance is the same as mine. (Still hate her though Angry Grin )

OP posts:
EllMae · 23/04/2018 15:39

@mismatchedstripysocks I agree with you that it goes to much more than just clothes etc but when EW is going on numerous holidays, weekends away and refuses to do more than 2 days a week it seems then unfair that we are having to buy more and more things?

It's a tricky one.. we also know that my OH's son doesn't stay at his mothers when it is her time with him and stays at grandparents

NorthernSpirit · 23/04/2018 15:41

Child maintenance covers the children’s cost of living - mortgage, rent, bills, food, clothing.....

If she only works 2 days a week it’s doubtful your OH will be removed from the mortgage. She could well get to stay in the house (as long as she can afford the mortgage) and your OH will have to stay on the mortgage (with an indemnity that should she fail to pay your OH isn’t responsible).

Your OH needs to push for the sale of the house as he needs suitable accomadation also when the children stay.

Regarding fees - it’s expensive. My OH represented himself for a year and through the 1st 2 court hearings. A barrister costs circa £1k a day and solicitors costs vary. My OH spent circa £5k. His EW on the other hand was represented throughout spent circa £15k. If you can avoid court and solicitors do - you are only lining their pockets. It’s money better spent on the kids.

AnneLovesGilbert · 23/04/2018 15:45

DH ex gets spousal maintenance so it does still happen. And he’s not a particularly high earner. She lied, lied and lied some more and got away with it. So child support, spousal and maximum childcare vouchers on top. We have them every weekend and a night in the week. Sucks.

Bananasinpyjamas11 · 23/04/2018 16:13

There’s a lot of SMs with the same problems! A support group sounds great. A big reason my relationship broke down is because if continuing demands from EW.

It’s obviously my DP who is not standing up to her, however I do have a certain amount of sympathy for him. He’s a ‘good guy’ which is why I liked him in the first place. She is basically very needy, having spent her whole life leaning on DP for so many things she’s not about to stop.

DP feels responsibility for her in a way he doesn’t seem to about me. He still cannot see that it’s affected us so badly. Although he does admit that he feels his marriage takes so much out of him he’s got very little left.

Bananasinpyjamas11 · 23/04/2018 16:14

His previous marriage I should say.

Freudian slip!

EllMae · 23/04/2018 16:39

@northernspirit thank you so much for your advice - it really is so useful to me.

That’s the thing, we cannot get a mortgage on a house even though we have both got great jobs because his name is still on that mortgage and she hasn’t been paying. She can’t afford the mortgage if his name is off the mortgage so it’s a catch 22!! Xx

MismatchedStripySocks · 23/04/2018 16:48

I always joke that DH’s EW would love him to be like my ex-husband, just for the drama. Basically, didn’t pay maintenance for 5 years and before that was on a DEO. DV, didn’t notice we had moved for 2.5 years! DH on the other hand doesn’t see maintenance as an ‘optional extra’ to be paid if affordable. It’s considered on a par with our rent! He would never miss a weekend either. She just adores drama and because he doesn’t give it, she has to create it Angry

OP posts:
NorthernSpirit · 23/04/2018 17:15

@Ellmae - your OH in court needs the be pushing for that he also needs ‘suitable accomadation’ for the children to stay with him.

In my OH’s case - the EW said in court she wasn’t working and that she needed to stay the former marital home (a 3 bed, 3 bath townhouse on a private gated development). For 4 years after my OH left he paid her mortgage in full (on a £250k mortgage). She argued she couldn’t get a mortgage. Turns out she was working (she was later done with purgatory). She was earning £10k a year on 3 days. So wasn’t earning anywhere near enough to take in the mortgage. My OH had offered her if they sold the house she’d get 70% of the equity (£250k) and he would cash in a pension and give her £100k so she could buy a cheaper property in the same postcode and they could both be released from the house. She refused the offer.

My OH at the time was renting a 1 bed flat (that’s all he could afford). She argued that she couldn’t be expected to downsize and it was fine for the 2 kids (boy & girl 10 & 7 at the time) when with dad (EOW & half of holidays) to share a double bed and my OH (50 years old at the time) sleep on the sofa.

She wanted to stay in the house for 11 years and my OH pay her mortgage in full. My OH would be 61 when the house was sold and would have no chance of buying his own home (as he’d have to remain on the mortgage).

He argued that he also needed ‘suitable accomadation’ for the children.

It went to court and a judge decided. The EW got to stay in the house only 2 years and then the house has to be sold. If she co-habitats for more than 6 months before that triggers the sale. She has to pay her mortgage in full. On sale my OH gets 38%, she gets 62%. She only got £40k of the pension (my OH had offered £100k). Her greediness didn’t pay off.

With what she’ll have in what’s now less than a year, she’ll be lucky to afford a 3 bed flat in not such a nice part of town. I could feel sorry for her, but her greediness brought it upon herself.

The irony is when the house is sold they will have been split up / divorced for 8 years, they were only married for 9.

Judges realise more and more than dad also needs somewhere to live and there’s no reason why mums can’t work when their kids are in school.

My advice would be - be honest. The EW lied through the process and she got caught out.

Magda72 · 23/04/2018 18:49

My dp's ex does similar. Got no spousal maintenance as all the kids were of school going age. Judge told her to get a job. She didn't.

Dp had to buy her a house outright, plus a car & gives her huge maintenance for the kids. Kids are always in designer gear & the latest sports clothing & have every gadget under the sun. Yet she still regularly contacts dp looking for extra money for utilities, oil for heating & holidays for herself!
When he says no she's loses it.
Dp has sent her solicitors letters saying he's happy to go back to court & seek a financial investigation. This shuts her up for a while & then she's off again.
Dp's solicitor has told him she'll be laughed out of court if she ever goes looking for more but I honestly wouldn't put it past her. As a pp said she loves drama & loves playing the victim & when dp won't feed the drama she ends up furious.
I honesty can't understand her thinking.
The day will come when she's receiving no maintenance & I think she'll just go to the wall then & dp may get a flak jacket.
I don't think she'll ever change.