What do i do now???

Wonder if anyone can help...
Long story short, was married for less than three years, 6.5 years ago. Finally absolute April 07.
all the way through this time, i have her solicitors letters, ex wanted nothing as she came with nothing. fair enough i thought.
however.. i have just been served ancillary relief papers and today, a note from her demanding £10k.
thing is, i've done reasonably well over the last 18months as oppose to having been perpetually broke for the past 10years and have paid off my debts of a similar amount (and those left behind by the ex)to the point i now have some savings too (boosted by a recent redundancy), and consequently a snapshot on paper today looks like i'm loaded. (relatively speaking)

The 3 years together were a deperate time financially, and now after 6years paying it all off, now i'm faced with this from the blue from someone i haven't heard from or spoken to in years.

I don't know what to do now... hock myself up and pay her off or fight and risk losing more. Either way i'm wondering why i bothered with the hard time paying it all off just to end up possibly at square one again, or worse.

Any thoughts/experience welcome. thanks

Difficult to comment without knowing what your means are, but as a general rule a Court would be reluctant to award a lump sum where there isn't very much money. In this case the shortness of the marriage would not help your ex's case.

If your ex is on income support a lump sum would not help her much as it would reduce her benefits.

hmmm, my post seems to have disappeared into the ether somewhere overnight?? ....try again....

Thanks Mike, I'm assuming she is on income support so food for my thought...

One of my main comcerns is that although we split after less than 3 years, changes in circumstances over the interim period to now won't be taken into consideration.

Im worried i may be assessed at todays situation, with no regard to the past several years as the length of marriage seems to be considered to be from start to finish regardless. I've been separated for more than twice as long as together.

Anybody? Any idea where i stand on the time actually together versus the total period married on paper? ie 2.5years versus a total of around 8?? Does this have any bearing on a courts thinking?