Can I get any kind of injunction on someone making continuous threats of civil court

Milkyway101

Ok, a long one, sorry! 

My partner is divorced from his ex wife. Whilst together, they bought a house. The deposit for this house was gifted to them by his ex wife’s mother. The majority of this gift was from the late great grand fathers estate which was his dying wish and her mother kept to her promise to give his granddaughter X amount for a house deposit, the rest was topped up as a gift by her mother. 

Marital home was sold early 2023 and the ex mother in law sent very threatening letters to my partner and his ex saying the deposit was a loan not a gift. It is all very complicated, but there is no doubt on my partner or his exes side that this was a gift and repayment was never ever mentioned. His ex is very spiteful, and very money orientated just like her mother, who has nothing to do with her own daughter due to money. 

Solicitors were involved on both sides and it was argued out for 8 months. December 2023, they stopped responding and did not start civil court proceedings like they were continually threatening. We heard nothing for 14 months. I spent 14 months on edge every single day waiting for emails or letter but nothing came, until Feb 2025. More threats and demands from a new solicitor so we have instructed our own one again. Our solicitor responded to them in less than 4 weeks from us (him) getting the letter but it’s now 2 months on and they’ve still not responded. This is just part of their spiteful game but living like this is unbearable. I need medical treatment, which we need to pay thousands for (yes I am in the uk this is too personal to discuss, paying is the only option) however, we are too frightened to do anything in case it does go to court and they some how (I highly doubt any judge would even give them the time of day) win.. we would need to have all options financially available to us to avoid a CCJ. 

We have conducted every query with the bank (the forms from their mortgage application just say ‘source of funds - deposit’ and the legal file does not exist as it was over 10 years ago so we cannot find the deed of declaration the lying so and so would have had to of signed. 

My question is, is there anything we can do to stop them being able to make continuous threats of court, never responding expeditiously and making our lives a living hell, affecting both our mental and physical health. Some sort of injunction maybe? I don’t know. I’m just sick of living like this. 

MattMattMattUK

Milkyway101 said:

Ok, a long one, sorry! 

My partner is divorced from his ex wife. Whilst together, they bought a house. The deposit for this house was gifted to them by his ex wife’s mother. The majority of this gift was from the late great grand fathers estate which was his dying wish and her mother kept to her promise to give his granddaughter X amount for a house deposit, the rest was topped up as a gift by her mother. 

Marital home was sold early 2023 and the ex mother in law sent very threatening letters to my partner and his ex saying the deposit was a loan not a gift. It is all very complicated, but there is no doubt on my partner or his exes side that this was a gift and repayment was never ever mentioned. His ex is very spiteful, and very money orientated just like her mother, who has nothing to do with her own daughter due to money. 

Solicitors were involved on both sides and it was argued out for 8 months. December 2023, they stopped responding and did not start civil court proceedings like they were continually threatening. We heard nothing for 14 months. I spent 14 months on edge every single day waiting for emails or letter but nothing came, until Feb 2025. More threats and demands from a new solicitor so we have instructed our own one again. Our solicitor responded to them in less than 4 weeks from us (him) getting the letter but it’s now 2 months on and they’ve still not responded. This is just part of their spiteful game but living like this is unbearable. I need medical treatment, which we need to pay thousands for (yes I am in the uk this is too personal to discuss, paying is the only option) however, we are too frightened to do anything in case it does go to court and they some how (I highly doubt any judge would even give them the time of day) win.. we would need to have all options financially available to us to avoid a CCJ. 

We have conducted every query with the bank (the forms from their mortgage application just say ‘source of funds - deposit’ and the legal file does not exist as it was over 10 years ago so we cannot find the deed of declaration the lying so and so would have had to of signed. 

My question is, is there anything we can do to stop them being able to make continuous threats of court, never responding expeditiously and making our lives a living hell, affecting both our mental and physical health. Some sort of injunction maybe? I don’t know. I’m just sick of living like this. 

Just ignore them. 

You cannot realistically stop them unless it meets the threshold for harassment (which legal letters rarely do) and then you would need to spend a lot of money to get an injection.

You can control your reaction, so just ignore them, let them waste their time having tantrums and move on with your life.

Slightly on a side note, but it is rare that a medical condition that has a large impact would not be treated by the NHS, but it would potentially be worth speaking to any charities that assist people with whatever your condition is, they should be able to guide you to the best way to get NHS treatment, rather than having to go private. 

Milkyway101

I wish we could just ignore them but I am such an anxious person that I just need answers and an end to it all. It’s destroying our lives and it’s all just such lies. If they want to take it to court then they just need to get on with it, instead of keep threatening to. It’s the unknown that is so damaging thank you for your response though I appreciate it 

molerat

Unless they come banging on your door there is not a lot you can do to stop this.  I think you should be safe in the knowledge they have no paperwork to support this "loan" or it would have been in court long ago, we are constantly hearing on here from the other side - I loaned my friend £££ and they won't pay it back and the general consensus is that unless they can come up with paperwork to prove this loan was not a gift then that is an end to the matter.

born_again

Were the finances not all sorted out as part of the divorce?

If they were, then you do need to ignore the threats. 

Tell you partner, not to tell you if they get anymore & not to respond & keep wasting money of solicitors.

saajan_12

Sounds like this is only an issue because partner received equity which came from the gift? If so, why not just give it back, pretend it was never theirs in the first place. No need for legal / lawyer costs, and the partner's financial position, ability to pay for surgery etc would be exactly the same as if they never had a gift from someone unrelated to them. 
^That's not a legal answer, but a practical one. 

Legally, you probably can't be forced to pay it back to the ex MIL, because she probably signed forms to say that it was a gift in order for the couple to get a mortgage. However the ex could possibly argue it was part of her share (ie the gift was to her alone not to the couple). This may be moot if the divorce is finalised and/or if the ex and exMIL arent' talking. 

sheramber

What does your solicitor advise you can to stop them?

Spendless

born_again said:

Were the finances not all sorted out as part of the divorce?

If they were, then you do need to ignore the threats. 

Tell you partner, not to tell you if they get anymore & not to respond & keep wasting money of solicitors.

^^^^ This. Was a financial order sorted as part of the divorce? If it wasnt it needs doing though if either of them has remarried since it alters things.

If it was then the division of assets should have been sorted then  and nothing more to do.

I think your anxiety and health issues are probably becoming worse with this going off and Id address them as a priority. 

Keep_pedalling

As there was a mortgage involved, his ex MIL would have had to make a declaration to the mortgage company then it was a gift, no way back from that. It almost certainly wont go to court as she will almost certainly loose.

MattMattMattUK

Milkyway101 said:

I wish we could just ignore them but I am such an anxious person that I just need answers and an end to it all.

That is something I would urge you to speak to your GP about, they will have options to help you with your anxiety. 

Milkyway101 said:

It’s destroying our lives and it’s all just such lies.

Being blunt, it is not. You might feel it is, but it only does that if you choose to let it.

Milkyway101 said:

If they want to take it to court then they just need to get on with it, instead of keep threatening to.

They do not want to go to court as it is highly likely that they would lose, incurring costs, so instead they keep sending letters in the hope that you will decide to give them money so that they go away.

Milkyway101 said:

It’s the unknown that is so damaging thank you for your response though I appreciate it 

Unknowns are not damaging, it only feels that way because you are allowing this to make you anxious, please speak to your GP, and/or a therapist about your anxiety, if it is not this, it will become the next thing, or the next thing.

Milkyway101

MattMattMattUK said:

Milkyway101 said:

I wish we could just ignore them but I am such an anxious person that I just need answers and an end to it all.

That is something I would urge you to speak to your GP about, they will have options to help you with your anxiety. 

Milkyway101 said:

It’s destroying our lives and it’s all just such lies.

Being blunt, it is not. You might feel it is, but it only does that if you choose to let it.

Milkyway101 said:

If they want to take it to court then they just need to get on with it, instead of keep threatening to.

They do not want to go to court as it is highly likely that they would lose, incurring costs, so instead they keep sending letters in the hope that you will decide to give them money so that they go away.

Milkyway101 said:

It’s the unknown that is so damaging thank you for your response though I appreciate it 

Unknowns are not damaging, it only feels that way because you are allowing this to make you anxious, please speak to your GP, and/or a therapist about your anxiety, if it is not this, it will become the next thing, or the next thing.

Thank you, don’t worry I have spoken to my GP and therapist. It’s utterly ridiculous I know it is, but it doesn’t stop me worrying, over thinking and becoming ill because of it all. They’re dragging it on so much and it shouldn’t be allowed.