For all those who are looking for outcomes here was mine- you can find all my other details in past threads.
The judge gave my wife a reality check and the outcome went like this.
House
W offer: 100% equity of house/ H to have a 40% charge (to be received when youngest finishes university- 15 years time)
H offer: 85% of equity to her/ 85K charge on house (received in 12 years time)
Settlement: 70 to her/ 30 split immediately after sale- H to have 20K charge on her new purchase
Pension:
W offer: Majority of his pension
H offer: 50%
Settlement: 50% of his pension from his first 10 years, but NOT his employer from the last 7 years
child maintenance
W offer: he pays 25% of until completion of first degree to include a gap year
H offer: He will pay the standard rate of 15% for 1, 20% for 2 and 25% for 3, that goes down as they reach 18 to only cover the remaining 2
Settlement: Aligned with CSA guidelines, nothing past secondary- but contributions can be made at H’s discretion
Future Bonus
W offer: 30% for life
H offer: 0
Settlement: W entitled to 0
Spousal maintenance
Her offer: 15K a year joint lives
His offer: 5K for 5 years
Judges rules: 6K per year for 12 years or until she remarries with a bar 28 applied (or whatever that is called)/ cohabitation was a sticking point but not worth not signing for. The way I look at it, its not enough of an incentive NOT to get remarried.
Debt: H to repay
Household goods: H to get the few named items.
Current housing- H to continue to give W 2100 for mortgage (to be transferred in her name) until the sale of the home. Works out 100£ less a month for me at the moment.
She wanted me to go through CSA- this was retracted
She wanted visibility of my P60 for next 12 years– this was retracted
The biggest tips I can give (particularly to men) is as follows
1. Know your figures, and know hers – this proved crucial in the settlement as they contradicted themselves quite a bit regarding ‘need’ and mortgage capabilities
2. Go in with a realistic settlement- This worked to my favour as it was the second time we had this judge, and the second time her side was playing games and in this case making ridiculous offers
3. Be realistic with best/ worst case outcomes
4. Get local representation. Judges don’t like when you bring in Londoners. My wife did this, and this also proved a disadvantage as my judge was the MOST male-friendly out of all 4 on the circuit. My barrister knew that the best possible outcome would be to settle then and there, as if it went to FH, I would have had come off worse. Her council being from London didn’t know this, so keen not to have the same result at more expense started being reasonable around 4:00pm
To all of you who have judged, supported, and given really great advice- Thank you. I am so happy this is all over and that I can actually plan my life accordingly. Im logging off now, probably for the last time as this chapter is closed for me, and its time to move on and live in the happiness that I knew existed out of my marriage.
Good luck to all of you and Thanks again.
Oh.. And I will NOT be getting married again. From what I reckon- you can financially survie it once, but twice... no chance.
