"Divorcing" yourself financially from someone

Hootie19

My daughter is living with her fiance at the moment. Without going into enormous detail, which is irrelevant to this post, she is leaving him and moving back home with us.

Their finances are a bit odd to us (myself and husband) as we have a bills account and each put a bit of salary in there every month to cover etc. They however, have different things in different names etc, and don't always pay the bill that are in their names - it depends on who's got money in their account at the time the bills are due.

Clearly when she leaves, she wants to be disassociated with him financially (he's the one refusing to pay bills, resulting in letters - some addressed to my daughter as it's her name on the bill - being sent, threatening legal action etc.

For example, the gas bill is in her name. How can she make sure that she is not paying for gas used after the date she moves out? Is it a case of taking a reading that day and sending it to British Gas and then asking them to remove her name from the bill and transfer it into his name?

Are there template letters anywhere on the web that anyone knows of that she could use? She will also have to have her name taken off the rent book.

Any advice gratefully received. She is planning to be back home by the first week in May, so really needs to get a shuffle on!

shelley_crow

She'll have to ring around every company who sends bills in her name. I'd suggest doing this, paying off the final amounts and leaving everything square, she wouldn't want to be chased for money. If she cancels utilities in her name once the accounts are settled, it is up to her ex to find his own. To transfer anything into his name, he must be present and willing. I'd also suggest (if the spilt might be acrimonious) to place a postal block on her old address (to divert to your address) so that it will allow her time to notify everyone. This does cost some money but will prevent her ex trying to use her name fraudulently (just in case) x

tanith

Don't forget to notify the council about the move so that you are not charged for Council Tax also a good idea might be to register for voting at your address then she will have a point of reference for any future discrepancies he might argue about... also tv licence people if thats in her name also...

EDIT: just a thought also register with a GP in your area.. its all 'proof' that she doesn't live with him anymore...

chunky79

RE utilities She will have to contact them with a reading and i would advise thats she also puts it all in writing with a photo of the actual meter also get her registered at your hosue the day she moves in.

Also council tax ring them too and send letter confirming the date.

My brother moved back into my parents and he is in a right tangle with Npower now as they say more electricty had been used although he phoned with a reading they said that would be fine but now the other occupants have given a different reading.

Re the house/letting agent

Phone to tell them she is leaving and again confirm the leaving date by post also any post sent it by registered delivery. just to be on the safe side of things.