Your Home
Whether you own your home or have been renting, the decision about what to do with it now you're splitting up is always a difficult one.
Whether you own your home or have been renting, the decision about what to do with it now you're splitting up is always a difficult one.
That is why we've produced a 
Breaking Up checklist (225 KB) a complete guide to help you sort things out as fairly as possible, and avoid leaving any loose ends.
•Who is going to stay and who is going to go in the short term?
•Can you end your tenancy now or are you locked into it for a few more months?
•What would happen to your tenancy if only one of you stayed? Do you have a right to stay in the property if it’s only you living there? Can either of you stay?
•What will you do about paying the rent or mortgage?
•How will you manage if you find a new place to live?
•Will you sell your house? How will you divide the sale price? What will you each do to ensure a quick sale?
•What will you do about all the stuff you bought together.
See our housing guide for the lowdown on your rights, whether you own or rent your home - www.advicenow.org.uk/living-together/housing/. You may also need to get legal advice to make sure you understand your position. You then need to come to an agreement about what you will do. Remember, you can have a two-stage plan for dealing with your housing situation in the short and longer term. If you're having trouble coming to an agreement you may want to consider using a mediation service to help you. You should only consider going to court as a last resort because it is a long, expensive and stressful process.
Confused about what each of your rights are to stay in the home or get a share of it's value? Our Housing leaflet (350 KB) explains all.
If one of you is staying in the property:
•It is important to ensure that the the correct name is on the utillity bills, council tax etc. Otherwise the other partner could be pursued for payment.
•If you are now the only adult in your household be sure to tell the Council Tax Department at your local authority. If you fill in the relevant form you will be entitled to a 25% discount on your council tax.
•Inform your landlord or mortgage lender that your partner has now left.
•Inform your home insurers that your partner has left.
If you move out, you need to inform:
•The bank and all credit companies or anyone you have a hire purchase agreement with
•Your doctor, dentist, and any other health workers
•Your child’s school
•The water, gas, electricity and telephone companies
•The post office – if you need your mail to be redirected.
•The company you have your buildings and/or contents insurance with
If there are any domestic violence issues you should get legal advice.
If you're having trouble coming to an agreement you may want to consider using a mediation service to help you. You should only consider going to court as a last resort because it is a long, expensive and stressful process.
Family Mediation
Family mediation is a way of helping couples who are splitting up come to agreements about how they do it. You can use a family mediation service as soon as you have made the decision to end your relationship, or at a later date if there are still outstanding problems.Couples referred to mediation by a solicitor may be eligible for legal aid to cover the costs. For more details, or to listen in on a family mediation session with our podcast, see our Family Mediation pages.
August 2010
