Ex partners rights to equity in house / house after split.

Seant83

Split after 15 years of being together. Unmarried but engaged.
Bought house 3 years ago in my name, I paid deposit and fees etc, I've paid every mortgage payment since and every other bill which are all in my name EXCEPT council tax in joint name, which I've paid always, and water rates in only her name which has technically been paid from her bank but I have transferred the money to pay before it came out of her bank.
2 children. One at beginning of school life, one at end.
We've split and I'm not forcing her out of house until she has somewhere else.
She works 30 hours per week and with universal credit can afford
A home of her own. Mortgage etc.
Basically I want to know what the worst damage she can do to me if she went legal and tried to take me for all she can..
For arguments sake I have 20k equity in house and debts totalling over that amount, which were all spend on us as a family.. holidays etc. Only one 10k loan secured on the house.
Any advice you could give would be great..
Before I realised it would be a nasty split I actually advised her to use these forums to help her with the next part of life...so if your reading..please dont use this to sting me further. I've already been a big enough mug.
Thanks.

[Deleted User]

Seant83 wrote: »

Split after 15 years of being together. Unmarried but engaged.
Bought house 3 years ago in my name, I paid deposit and fees etc, I've paid every mortgage payment since and every other bill which are all in my name EXCEPT council tax in joint name, which I've paid always, and water rates in only her name which has technically been paid from her bank but I have transferred the money to pay before it came out of her bank.
2 children. One at beginning of school life, one at end.
We've split and I'm not forcing her out of house until she has somewhere else.
She works 30 hours per week and with universal credit can afford
A home of her own. Mortgage etc.
Basically I want to know what the worst damage she can do to me if she went legal and tried to take me for all she can..
For arguments sake I have 20k equity in house and debts totalling over that amount, which were all spend on us as a family.. holidays etc. Only one 10k loan secured on the house.
Any advice you could give would be great..
Before I realised it would be a nasty split I actually advised her to use these forums to help her with the next part of life...so if your reading..please dont use this to sting me further. I've already been a big enough mug.
Thanks.

Your ex hasn't made any capital contributions towards the property by the sounds of things and you aren't married so she's not entitled to anything, except child maintenance, or whatever it's called these days. Courts don't care about separating co-habiting couples, you have no legal obligations to one another.

I think you were crazy to move out of the property. How do you figure that someone working 30 hours a week and in receipt of universal credit can afford her own mortgage? Has she got a massive deposit tucked away somewhere? It's far more likely that a private rental is all she can afford at the moment and that versus the home she has now is probably not such an attractive proposition.

Seant83

Sorry.. I havent moved out of property, I just havent got the heart to make her go back to her mam and dads as I think it would destroy her regardless of what's happened.
She has actually been to see a mortgage advisorwoth a high street bank and can get a mortgage on the wage she is on when topped up with universal credits.
I was also surprised to find out that's woth a 5% deposit too.
We live in a cheap area of the country so a house for the mortgage she can get is quite nice even being on a low wage.
I was just unsure because we have children what she could do..
If I'm honest I dont worry that she will try cause me problems as we are working together and I'm willing to help find the deposit and cost of new house too.
It's the in laws have it in for me and are very bitter that I'm staying in family home..

onwards&upwards

Seant83 wrote: »

Sorry.. I havent moved out of property, I just havent got the heart to make her go back to her mam and dads as I think it would destroy her regardless of what's happened.
..

Not to mention the impact on your children, which i’m Hoping is your biggest concern.

Has she been the main carer?

As you weren’t married, you have much more opportunity to screw her over than if you were, and people say it’s just a piece of paper.

Seant83

Yes the kids are my main concern and always have from the start.. everybody else seems money orientated and full of spite.. worst thing is me and the mpther of my kids are ok, its outside influences trying to ruin things..
Thanks for advice..

Seant83

I'm not sure what you mean by main carer? We probably have split the parenting equally. If not I've done a little more. We've both worked full time but I've took and picked up from school most days..

AdrianC

Seant83 wrote: »

Bought house 3 years ago in my name

Your sole name?

Then that's all there is to it. Your house. Unmarried, so no financial settlement as part of any divorce.

2 children. One at beginning of school life, one at end.

Then the Child Maintenance Service will deal with your ongoing provision for your children.

The only "damage" she can do you is enforcing your basic responsibility as a parent to look after your children...

Seant83 wrote: »

worst thing is me and the mpther of my kids are ok, its outside influences trying to ruin things.

"Outside influences" can't do anything if they aren't listened to and taken seriously.

Seant83

That all sounds good for me..
I dont want to sting the girl I just want to help her..
I'm a great dad so I dont need prompting on any parenting duties.. I'd have them 24/7 if I could..
I've even agreed for their mam to be main carer etc for financial reasons.. child benefit etc so she can afford to live..
I just want us all to be happy as we can at end of it..hoping to own 2 properties between us rather than none..
Thanks for advice

AdrianC

Seant83 wrote: »

I've even agreed for their mam to be main carer etc for financial reasons.. child benefit etc so she can afford to live..

I presume you mean so your income can support the kids...?

Seant83

Yeah in a nutshell.. basically so she can have the child benefit and any universal credit available die to fact she responsible for 2 kids..

ryankirkpatrick2

Not entitled to anything if not on the mortgage. You can apply to court for a 50/50 shared care arrangement, this would ensure you wouldn't have to pay child maintenance. If you have lived with both children equally there is no reason for the courts to refuse this. You need to fill in a C100 form and pay the £215 fee.