HELP I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE

Just wondered whether anyone had any advice on step children and spouse maintanence.
I am married for 9 years and I want to seperate.
I have decided enough is enough and we cannot live under the same roof any longer.
I FEEL LIKE A PRISONER WITH NO ESCAPE
Their biological father has never paid anything.
Will I have to pay maintenenance?
Please help if you can?
The house is paid for and Im happy to leave that as a one of lump sum final payment.

Childrens ages 13 & 15 They have little or no respect for me I try to advise their wrong doings and any telling off they run to the support of the wife or inlaws so there is no parental control on my part.

I am in full time employment 25k
Wife full time work now 12k

I pay all the bills my wifepays for clothes school trips and activities but no money goes into the bill pot. Her parents have supported the children ever since they were born clothes , education trips family holidays etc.

Ive been emotionally blackmailed every time I have threatened to leave about making sure that I get screwed for every penny.

I have rarely had my input in the childrens welfare care and upbringing without any influence from inlaws.

They always insisted loaning us money when we want to take a loan out say for new boiler and so on so Im paying them back on the never never they also make sure the kids never do without even if I think its the wrong decision which is often.

any advice what I can do even how to start the ball rolling would be helpful

If I move out and leave what is the time limit for divorce she says she wont divorce me but in reality once Ive gone minds Im sure will change.

If I leave will any payment be backdated

My scenario is leave and move into rented accomodation and wait 2yrs to divorce her if she pursues will my payments have to be back dated ?

All the bills are in her name although they come out of a joint account how do I get this frozen and am I liable for any arrears once I leave the home

Thanking you in advance

I can't help about the maintenance payments.
But you can divorce your wife now if you wish to. If you wait 2 years you'll need her consent which she might not give.

To freeze the joint bank account you'll need to contact the bank - but your wife will need to be able to access money.

You say you are happy to leave the house - how much equity is there in it?

Suspending a joint bank account is easy, just go into a branch with some ID and request that it is suspended. The bank will then write to all the account signatories. Be aware though that this will cause any DD/SO to bounce although they will accept payments in. It will need both signatories to make any further changes to the account. I did this last week but was able to put the DD/SO onto my sole account. In your case it looks like all the bills, in your wife's name, would bounce and that could cause a lot of agro all round. You could give her a couple of weeks warning that you are going to do this and that would be enough time to make alternative arrangements. Good luck