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I have the D36 and D80B forms, but I'm not sure how to complete Questions 4 and 5 (About the Respondent's Behaviour affecting my health, and whether or not it is continuing).
I previously had representation (Legal Aid for Child Matters and Financial) but that's all over now and they weren't covered for helping me with this bit. Domestic Abuse was an issue when we were together, and has certainly continued since separation 3 years ago in the form of economic abuse. I have a court order for Child Maintenance (a laughably small amount as ex managed to convince the courts he had "no income" despite fact he's been living in the Middle East - apparently on thin air - for last 3 years) but he has been paying it erratically - not on the dates he should, and not the amounts he should, but more of a drip-feed of small amounts in a haphazard, unpredictable way. Nothing can be done about that because it's a non REMO country.
I definitely consider that his continued behaviour with respect to unpredictable maintenance payments is affecting my health and wellbeing as I'm the sole carer for our 3 children, money is extremely tight so I'm very much in debt, and therefore his unreliable maintenance payments has a very immediate and profound impact on my finances. So that side of his behaviour is continuing, but obviously his ability to control, threaten etc is far less than when we were together. His behaviour did affect my mental well-being for sure - my mental wellbeing is a lot better now, although the impact of the financial control continues to cause stress on a daily basis. Aside from day-to-day finances and debt, I worry a lot about having to sell the house as ordered in 2 years, even though my youngest will only just be finishing primary school then, and the share that I get, less Legal Aid fees, will mean a lot more upheaval again for the children as it won't buy us a property anywhere nearby. Oh and I couldn't ask for a pension-sharing order because ex cleverly has that in a jurisdiction beyond UK reach. Joy. I'll just get the state pension.
Would really appreciate any advice about how I should answer those questions - or are they largely meaningless and it's just a paper exercise?
I previously had representation (Legal Aid for Child Matters and Financial) but that's all over now and they weren't covered for helping me with this bit. Domestic Abuse was an issue when we were together, and has certainly continued since separation 3 years ago in the form of economic abuse. I have a court order for Child Maintenance (a laughably small amount as ex managed to convince the courts he had "no income" despite fact he's been living in the Middle East - apparently on thin air - for last 3 years) but he has been paying it erratically - not on the dates he should, and not the amounts he should, but more of a drip-feed of small amounts in a haphazard, unpredictable way. Nothing can be done about that because it's a non REMO country.
I definitely consider that his continued behaviour with respect to unpredictable maintenance payments is affecting my health and wellbeing as I'm the sole carer for our 3 children, money is extremely tight so I'm very much in debt, and therefore his unreliable maintenance payments has a very immediate and profound impact on my finances. So that side of his behaviour is continuing, but obviously his ability to control, threaten etc is far less than when we were together. His behaviour did affect my mental well-being for sure - my mental wellbeing is a lot better now, although the impact of the financial control continues to cause stress on a daily basis. Aside from day-to-day finances and debt, I worry a lot about having to sell the house as ordered in 2 years, even though my youngest will only just be finishing primary school then, and the share that I get, less Legal Aid fees, will mean a lot more upheaval again for the children as it won't buy us a property anywhere nearby. Oh and I couldn't ask for a pension-sharing order because ex cleverly has that in a jurisdiction beyond UK reach. Joy. I'll just get the state pension.
Would really appreciate any advice about how I should answer those questions - or are they largely meaningless and it's just a paper exercise?
