Mortgages and seperation.

sigster

My wife and I have agreed to separate after 12 years together. We have come to an informal(ie non solicitor) based agreement on the finances regarding the house. We are separating on good terms and are keen not to "waste" lots of money on solicitor and legal fees as we have an eight year old daughter together and are keen for the finances not to impact her.
I intend to remortgage the house, effectively buying her out, becoming the sole owner and giving her a lump sum to finance her new property(there is a good deal of equity in the property allowing us to do this). I would appreciate any advice on the cheapest way to do this going forward. I am not advocating cutting corners, merely the quickest and easiest way of getting things done. Particularly as there may be several property opportunities local to us in the near future which would benefit both of us and our daughter. Our mortgage provider is keen for me to contact them and sort it out but as I understand it, that would effectively prevent me from seeking out a better deal elsewhere. Am I able to seek a remortgage with another provider in my name even though the property is in joint names? As my current provider will charge me for removing her from the deeds and then charge me again if it is willing to allow me to remortgage even though it may not be the best deal on the market am I better looking elsewhere for the best deal immediately? I should point out I am not tied in to my current provider and am free to leave at any time. So many questions, so little time! Thank you for taking the time to read and any advice is appreciated.