Hi,
My ex wife said she would only sort the finances out as part of the divorce. Our
Decree Nisi was issued on the 1st of March so the
Decree Absolute can actually be applied for now but ex wife hasn't yet applied for it assume because we haven't made a financial agreement, Ex wife is using a solicitor. I am representing myself to keep costs down. I am after help in understanding how pensions/money is divided.
Me: Age 41 years and 10 months
Ex Wife: 36 years and 5 months
We have no children and married in July 2012 and had our
matrimonial home since Sept 2009 when we started Cohabiting. We both paid £10,000 each deposit. The home currently has £80,000 equity
I take home around £2100 a month and my ex will be similar as she earns more than I do
My Pension
CETV was £84000 in November (been paying into it 17 years)
My ex has a pension (been paying into it 11/12 years)but unfortunately I do not know the value as still waiting for the voluntary exchange to take place. (I've had my documents ready since November but that's another matter)
I moved into an unfurnished 2 bed apartment and ex is in the 3 bed semi we own, for the first 4 months I paid around £2500 to my ex towards mortgage payments on top of my rent at £550 PCM I was advised by a solicitor to stop making payments so I did.
I would say our monthly outgoing are similar around £1200 a month (rent/mortgage/bills/personal loans)
I don't expect this to be taken into consideration but my outgoings will increase as I have a child on the way with my new partner)
our joint accounts have been closed and no savings account
we have no joint debts/loans just the mortgage that we jointly own as tenants in common in equal shares
Hopefully I have included the basics. So October last year was my first request to sort out the family home in which my ex said she was seeing a mortgage adviser to buy me out but nothing has come of it. I have written to her solicitor with an offer which was to both keep our pensions, my ex buy me out with her keeping the contents of the home which includes items I took into the marriage. Obviously I am going to think that is a fair deal but is it?
I thought given there was no children, marriage relatively short that this would be quite a straight forward divorce but obviously not. I guess my main concern is I have a feeling she'll go after my pension which is fine but how much of my pension is taken into consideration given that she has her own and obviously mines is of greater value as I've been paying into mine longer.
I really have no interest in seeing her financial documents and certainly have no interest in her pension as that is hers that she has contributed too, however her solicitor is insisting a voluntary exchange of documents happens before negotiating a settlement. I have been chasing since the start of the year and still not had a date to exchange. Will it go in her favour the longer this goes on?
Many Thanks for reading and appreciate any advice that can be given
Bob
