£125.000 asset before marriage

Posted by: Carol Laser
21/05/08 at 10:13 am

Dear readers,

I'm an American 42 years of age, 1 child age 6, unemployed and living in rented accomadation.  My husband and I split on boxing day, he physically abused me in front of our daughter on that day and left home.  Prior to this we owned a home, correction he owned it,.  My name has never been on anything, not even the old car that I assumed was mine.  Everything is in his name all the assests and money from the sale of the home, a home that I renovated.  He has stated to my solictor that he brought £125.00 into the marriage and that I had nothing.  I gave up a very nice life in the South of France to marry him and raise his child.  I'm the primary carer for our child since he works long hours as a chartered accountant.  During the marriage he left the house very early for work even before our daughter woke and came home always after 7pm just before bedtime.  I have given him a nice home that was always clean and tidy and food always waiting on the table.  He has built a case against me that I did nothing for him like never ironing his shirts. 

I now have nothing, he has stated that I don't deserve half of the cash assests worth £222.000, most of it from the sale of the house.  My solictor who is Legal Aid because I can not afford a lawyer has stated that I may only be entitled to £50.000 since he brought in £125.00 before we were married.  Should I dismiss this solicitor?  I am terrified to end up with nothing to rehouse myself and my daughter.  I have no family because they live in America, and I can not go back to my country since my daughter was born here.  I no job prospects and untrained.  What do I do?

Carol