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LIVING WITH YOUR EX
FALLING house
prices mean that more and more separating couples are being forced
to live together under the same roof – even after they’re divorced.
The credit crunch is making moving out and moving on after divorce
even harder for separating couples. Negative equity and limited
mortgage deals are adding to the pain of family breakdown as couples
find they can’t afford to sell up and go their separate ways.
"Increasingly couples are finding it too expensive to move to
separate accommodation even after divorce. Neither of them can
afford to rent on their own, there isn’t enough money for either of
them to buy out the other, and if the property were sold there
wouldn’t be enough money for either of them to buy another property
as they can’t get a mortgage." says local family lawyer
Simon Burge.
More and more family lawyers are working with couples who are living
under the same roof while going through divorce or separation.
"Quite often a client will ask, How can I get him of her out of the
house now? I have to explain that without going to court for an
occupation order, they cannot “get” their spouse out of the
house, unless the spouse agrees to go." explains Simon who
is a member of Resolution, a group of over 5500 family lawyers in
England and Wales who are committed to resolving disputes in a
non-confrontational way.
Living under the same roof while going through a divorce can mean
real financial hardship for a spouse who doesn’t work or earns
significantly less than their other half. Unless a person can prove
to the Benefits Agency that they are living completely separate
lives, whilst they are living with an earning ex partner, they may
find it difficult to claim benefits. If the earning partner is being
difficult or controlling with money, then the low or non-earning
partner may find themselves in an extremely difficult situation.
"The low or non-earning partner is usually refused Income
Support on the basis that their ex is paying the mortgage and
outgoings, and they are still living in the house together, leaving
them with no cash of their own to cover everyday expenses"
remarked Simon.
With leading economists predicting even tougher financial times
ahead, it’s crucial that separating couples consider options that
can help them negotiate through the perils of negative equity and
falling house prices - and to do this without World War III breaking
out in their nearest court room. Mediation and collaborative law are
both alternatives to the traditional court process and are promoted
by Resolution (to find out more visit
resolution.org.uk).
"Trained mediators work with husband and wife together to try
to resolve their differences, while collaborative law involves them
sitting round a table together with their lawyers in structured
meetings as an alternative to going to court." explains
Simon.
Organisations such as One Parent Families (oneparentfamilies.org.uk),
Childline (tel. 0800 111), Advice Now (advicenow.org.uk)
and the Family Mediation Helpline (tel. 0845 6026627) can offer
support and advice to parents and children dealing with separation.
"As the property market continues to slow down, couples are
going to need good advice and support, before and after their
divorce papers are issued." said Simon. |
IT’S OFFICIAL: FOLK IN LIVERPOOL HAVE STARS IN THEIR RHYMES
“TWINKLE
Twinkle Little Star” is officially Liverpool’s favourite nursery
rhyme, according to a nationwide poll by Openreach, BT’s local
network business, in support of children’s communication charity I
CAN. The poll revealed the well-known rhyme as the overall
number 1 choice in the region, while “3, 6, 9, The Goose Drank
Wine” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep” followed closely behind.
The search for the nation’s favourite childhood ditties, launched by
Dancing on Ice star Suzanne Shaw, also produced some other
eyebrow-raising findings across the UK. In the East Midlands,
people are very fond of the little-known “A Chubby Little
Snowman”, while Londoners prefer the classic “This Little
Piggy Went To Market”, and in Scotland, the top spot went to
“Oh Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny Off a Bus.” Overall, in the
UK, local poll-topper “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” was voted
the favourite nursery rhyme. Hot on its heels were “This Little
Piggy” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep” in 2nd and 3rd places
respectively.
Children’s communication charity, I CAN, created the online “Rhyme
Stars” campaign, in which more than 50,000 members of the
British public voted for their favourite childhood nursery rhyme.
For each vote, BT’s Openreach division contributed £1 to I CAN,
which works to develop speech, language and communication skills for
all children with a particular focus on children who find
communication difficult.
Suzanne Shaw, who launched the nationwide search, said:- “As a
mum, it's heart-warming to see that so many people have given their
time to support this campaign to help encourage communication in
children.”
The campaign also reached beyond the shores of Britain, with more
than 2,400 votes from countries abroad, including Jamaica, Morocco
and Sri Lanka. In contrast to the overwhelming affection shown
for “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, the region’s official most
annoying rhyme is “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with a mere single
vote.
Virginia Beardshaw, Chief Executive of I CAN said:- “I’m
delighted that so many people added their votes and voices to Rhyme
Stars. The search for the nation’s favourite nursery rhyme has been
a fantastic and fun way to highlight how important these songs are
for helping to develop children’s speech, language and
communication. Communication is the 21st century life skill; the
bedrock for all children’s future learning and literacy. It is the
foundation for social and emotional development and with the support
of Openreach and the public, we are helping to build a future
generation of excellent communicators.”
Dawn James, Director of Communications at Openreach, said:-
“The ability to communicate effectively is a crucial life skill, and
Openreach is proud to support I CAN’s work in encouraging language
and communication skills amongst young people.”
While remaining an important part of BT, Openreach has its own
headquarters, distinct identity and around 30,000 staff. The
business is the second largest within BT Group by number of
employees and has assets of around £8 billion and revenues of more
than £5 billion, making it comparable in size to many FTSE 100
companies. |
