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I first started living with
my husband in 1983. He had been married first for 18 months and second for
9 years. He had three daughters by the second marriage. I had been married
first in 1966 which lasted for 16 years and had 3 sons of roughly the same
age.
From the beginning his
ex-wife claimed I had "stolen" her husband despite the fact it was a very
unhappy marriage and he was the one to make a move. She was also a
Catholic and maintained he was hers for ever. All this was relayed to the
girls and for years I had a very difficult time.
I stuck it out and after
five years she could no longer prevent the divorce and we married in 1987.
The financial settlement was crippling, she got the house, maintenance for
the three children, school fees and a third of our net income for herself.
I had to work very hard as we were existing on my salary for every day
things like food etc. Eventually the girls have grown up and three
weddings later we all seemed to be getting along ok.
Then! My husband is 67 and
has been working part time at home for some years. He has to stop when he
is seventy and our income will plummet. He broached the subject with
his ex-wife, telling her that as the pot will be smaller so will her
share. All hell has erupted and we are being threatened not only
with the same amount but an increase. The awful thing is that after all
these years we are going to have to go through the whole court thing
again.
I can't work as it will be
added on to my husband's pension and even my measly pension from my former
job will be part of the pot. We have offered a third of our net
income but it is apparently nothing like enough.
Talk about a meal ticket for
life and the awful thing is the Court may award her an increase and we
will have to sell our house, which we love and have worked like beavers
on, to continue her maintenance. Nowadays there would be a clean
break but we have never had enough money to even consider it.
I am seething!
Oh yes, and a few years ago
she inherited a small fortune which has mysteriously disappeared. I really
do wonder what the courts are thinking of.
