how much will seperation cost me

my wife and i are seperating, she has decided she doesn't love me anymore and wants me to move out,we are still living in the house at the moment. we have two kids, a boy of 8 and a girl of 5 that i adore, I would like to fight her for custody but don't think its right to take my little girl away from her mummy. I am self employed and earn around £30K gross, net of about £24K. The house has about £35K equity and we have debts of about £13K. Is it possible to sell the house and split the winnings, then both set up in rented accomodation? I want to know what i am legally obliged to pay towards the house,the kids, spousal maintenance etc. I hope someone can help as i really don't know what to do, i can't get a solicitors appointment until next week.

Hi Sparkster,

I know a lot of information is already in your post, but could you provide the missing bits from this list please - it will help people with providing you with indications of what to expect:

Your respective ages;

The number of children you have and their ages;

How many nights the children spend with each parent;

The length of your marriage and any period of pre marriage cohabitation;

Your respective incomes;

Your respective outgoings;

Your assets - both soley held and joint;

Your liabilities.

Take care

WR

Also - many people are advised not to move out of the FH until the financials are sorted!

WR

thanks for your reply, we have 2 kids 8 and 5, i'm 35 my wife is 32, i plan to have the kids at least 60 - 70 nights per year, we have been married 7 and a half years, but living together about 9. my wifes income is about £6500 a year, outgoings at the moment are around £1800 per month joint however if i move out i will have a second lot of household bills etc to pay on top of rent. the only real asset we have is the car but she's keeping that. as i say we are still living together but she says she needs time apart? do i move out or does she? she won't leave the kids but she has nowhere to go?

Hi Sparkster,

Agreeing who lives where is a critical decision that can affect your relationships with your children for years. Get advice before you make any serious moves, such as moving out of the home, or asking your child's mother to leave.

If you decide to move out, it's a good idea to find somewhere that your child(ren) can stay over night comfortably, and agree arrangements for when they stay with you/their mum before you move out.

The main choices that you have are buying a new home, renting privately or lodging although your choices may be limited by your financial position. If your child is going to live with you for most of the time, you may qualify to rent from your local authority or housing association.

Taken from:
www.dad.info/separation/separation-your-action-plan/

My advice - don't move out, don't be hasty, try to give each other space and focus on the kids - they'll be picking up on everything at the moment.

Take care

WR