Confused re financial support for wife.

We are separating. Joint owners of home with 2 kids (11 & 6) I am still confused as to what I am expected to pay. I want to be fair, but want to be fair to myself too.
I have income of 2500. She of 600 including credits etc. I understand what I am responsible for the children e.g 20% less time they are with me when I move, but what financial support is my wife entitled to as she can't cover the costs without a significant top up from me.
I need to set up a new home and it costs more to rent a one bed flat than the mortgage on our 3 bed home.
What can she expect to get from me.
We can't sell the house as the kids will have nowhere to live so I know I can't get any capital out of this.
Before the kids she used to have a good job, but is only working part-time, term time only. I guess she can't be expected to go back to full time job while youngest is at school?

ANy advice as I don't know how much I can spend on a flat rental.

Sorry to hear about your situation. I know exactly how you feel.

Let us concentrate on some basic principles. The first is that, as you have two children of school age, their interests would be a Court's first priority. This is a statutory requirement, and it means in practice that the children need a secure home.

The second is that the Court will want to make sure that both you and your x2b ( and kids ) have somehere to live and enough income to live there. ' The system ' will not put you out on the street or reduce you to destitution.

It can sometimes happen that some creative thinking is called for in cases where there are limiited income and assets. However, as a first step, I would advise that both you, and if possible your wife, should draw up a budget - you on the assumption that you have to rent a one bedroom flat, and she ( for the time being ) on the basis that she continues to stay in the marital home. I hope that you are on sufficiently amicable terms with your wife to suggest this - she will have to do it sooner or later anwyay and you yourself would probably have a good idea because you live there. I would also advise that your wife might seek a benefits check from the CAB in view of the fact that she will shortly be single.

Once you have done this, you need to work out what income your wife would need to continue living in the marital home and whether she needs a top-up from you over and above the child support to bring her income to the required level., The question then arises whether, having regard to your budget, you could afford to pay it.

In answer to your question, I would myself say that it would not be reasonable to expect your wife to work full time, not while your youngest is of primary school age. To her credit, she does have a part time job and is willing to work to support herself and her family.

I think I will leave it at that for the moment. In lower income cases, ' equality ' is less important than meeting the needs of both parties - yourself included.

Mile 100468

Thank you both. Fortunately we are talking - pity we didn't do it earlier!
The main issue is adjusting to a lower standard of living, such is the cost of running two households in London.