My Husband Walked Out On Me
March 2024
Experiencing your husband walking out on you can be emotionally devastating. It can also create immediate financial worries and uncertainty over your future. Understanding your separation and divorce rights is crucial when your husband has walked out on you.
This article looks at your rights and your options and explains how Fullers Family Law solicitors can help you.
Initial Discussion
This summary provides general information and does not constitute legal advice on any individual circumstances.
For an initial discussion and a no-obligation quote, get in touch with us today by simply calling us on 01234 343134 or email us at enquiries@fullersfamilylaw.com and a member of our team will get back to you.
Immediate Concerns
If your husband has announced that he wants to separate, his decision may come as a complete shock to you. Even if you had an inkling that things were not right, you may be devastated by his abrupt decision to leave the family home without first trying family therapy or counselling to see if you can sort out the problems in your marriage.
You are bound to have lots of questions as well as immediate concerns. The best thing to do is seek specialist legal advice so you understand your rights and options. Whilst it may be tempting to think that your husband will see sense and return after a few days away, it is best to be prepared, especially if you have immediate concerns about what to tell the children and how you are going to pay the mortgage or the household bills.
The Children
If you have children together, their well-being will be your top priority. Your husband may have said when he wants to see the children or just told you that he will be in touch when he wants to see them. Your immediate reaction to your husband's decision to leave may be to refuse contact with the children as you believe contact would be too unsettling and distressing for your children.
It is important that you understand that you and your husband both have what is referred to as parental responsibility for your children. However, if you cannot reach an agreement on the contact arrangements, then one of you will need to apply to the family court for a child arrangement order to sort out the contact arrangements. Your husband cannot just impose his contact wishes on you if you do not think that his contact plans meet your children's best interests.
In the immediate aftermath of a separation, it can be hard to talk to your spouse calmly about what the children need. Your husband may be focused on his rights and wishes rather than thinking about the impact of his wanting overnight contact with the children when he has not got suitable accommodation, or it is too far from the children’s schools.
Family mediation may be one option to help you both sit down with a professional and impartial mediator to try and reach a short-term and long-term contact plan that meets the needs of your children.
Financial Matters
If your husband has left you then you may have concerns about whether you have the right to stay in the family home if it is owned in his sole name, or you may be worried about how you will pay the mortgage and household bills without the help of his salary.
The first thing to emphasise is that you should not permanently leave the family home until you have taken legal advice. That is the case even if the property is owned in your husband's sole name. As a wife, you have family law rights that can offer you protection against your husband selling or remortgaging the property without first telling you. A family law solicitor can help you register your rights with the Land Registry and explain your longer-term housing and financial settlement options.
In addition to family home rights, you may be entitled to child support if you have children with your husband and spousal maintenance for yourself.
Divorce Proceedings
Your immediate priority may not be to start divorce proceedings against your husband. You may want to try to save your marriage or need time to come to terms with your husband's decision to leave before you take steps to end your marriage.
When you are ready to do so, you can start divorce proceedings. You do not have to wait until your husband has left for a minimum period. If you want to do so you can start no-fault divorce proceedings straight away. You will not need to attend a court hearing to secure your divorce and the divorce solicitors at Fullers Family Law can sort out all the divorce paperwork for you.
Talk to a Family Law Solicitor
Consulting a family law solicitor is highly recommended if your husband has walked out on you. A family law solicitor can help you understand your rights, provide legal guidance and help you explore your options.
Getting the legal support you need will help you make sense of what has happened and help you move forward and rebuild your life after your husband has walked out on you.
How Can Fullers Help?
We understand that finding a solicitor that you feel understands your own specific situation can be a daunting task. So, you can book a free call back with us here.
We have also created a series of fixed-price consultation meetings with a full ‘no questions asked’ money-back guarantee promise.
For an initial discussion and a no-obligation quote, get in touch with us today by simply calling us on 01234 343134, filling in the contact form below, or emailing us at enquiries@fullersfamilylaw.com and a member of our team will get back to you.
