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I'm writing this for a friend in need of urgent help - his wife left him 10 years ago and took the young daughter, the house was in his name and they were in debt - through loans from family and remortgage he managed to stay at the house though it is in a bad state of repair and worth little. She moved to rented accommodation. She was a heavy drinker and entertained a number of male friends. The mother claimed benefit, it was a horrible environment for the child whom was clearly neglected. She were never at school and always unkempt. The father remained involved with his daughter and as time went on he had her more and more for her own safety. The mother then decided to move away and in with her boyfriend ( a council house) and left the daughter with her father. For the past 6 years he has provided a stable happy healthy environment for her and she has thrived at school, just moving to secondary school. The Girl has visited her mother at weekends and made friends with a neighbours daughter the same age. When she visits her mother she stays at her friends house mainly. ( she tells me she does not like the boyfriend) Now out of the blue the girl has said she wants to live with her mother and move schools. ( or suggests an alternative of her and her father moves closer to them) Naturally the father is alarmed and the mother has contacted him to say she wants money from his home too. Separated for 10 years, and divorced for 5 years.
The mother has never contributed to the upkeep of her daughter, the father had low income support. When divorced there was a mention in the papers that she could come back for some financial gain from the property that was then the marital home. The property is still mortgage and of little value - it was the home he raised his daughter. The mother had left a trail of debt behind her that he spent years clearing. There was never any custody arrangements simply it was safer and easier for the father to raise the daughter (whom has always been so happy) as the mother was clearly unfit. He needs to know can the ex demand custody of the girl and can she force him to sell his home after all this time?
The mother has never contributed to the upkeep of her daughter, the father had low income support. When divorced there was a mention in the papers that she could come back for some financial gain from the property that was then the marital home. The property is still mortgage and of little value - it was the home he raised his daughter. The mother had left a trail of debt behind her that he spent years clearing. There was never any custody arrangements simply it was safer and easier for the father to raise the daughter (whom has always been so happy) as the mother was clearly unfit. He needs to know can the ex demand custody of the girl and can she force him to sell his home after all this time?
