Eeteet

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of how to handle UK forms that ask if married and what income and assets are from wife?

I am going though visa process and wife lives in USA. Under US law, all her savings and money she had before we got married (not loads but a between 30-40k) is hers and none of my business.

I am currently unemployed due to redundancy and looking for legal aid to fight ex girlfriend who gets legal aid. Anyway, on the legal aid form it asks if you are married, and the assets of your wife. By telling them simple black and white , I would not qualify, however, it just seems odd and unfair that I put down savings I have no access to but which count against me.

I have a meeting for mediation soon where they will do a legal aid check, my question is, how do you answer a form that is designed for husband/;wife living together in same country when my wife and I are seperated by both location and finances at the moment. What if , as is her righ under US law, she just refuses to tell me what she has, so that I can't answer the form?

It just seem ridiculous that I could have income or assets against me that I could never use or get hold of. Anyone had any experience of this please ?

thanks

meauxna

Are these assets of hers the money of yours you're transferring to her?

Where do you get the idea you posted about US law?

airways

His wife probably...... ROFL

Eeteet

No,

She got that money from her ex in a settlement. The money I sent her was only about $11k and that can be counted for as either covering her loss of alimony , OR, she has receipts for about that much for everything we have spent on my October and November visits. So, even if someone looks into why I sent it, it is all accounted for.

She has about 30K in savings, I'm just saying, hypothetically, if I don't know that and can't get at it, how can it count against me ?

Just seems unfair that i've paid my taxes and A LOT of them over the last 20 years and now I need a bit of help, I can't get it.

So, I'm just asking if anyone else has come across the dilema of filling out a UK designed form, based on UK husband and wife, which doesn't cater for ;wife living in another country who has money but I can't answer how much'

Eeteet

Yes, she said they do not count any money you had before marriage, if we were to get divorced. lol. I hasten to add she did say "not that it matters as we are not and we share it along with everything else "lol.

But, I'm just saying, theoretically, she could have said "I'm not telling you how much I have", then what COULD I write on a form.

I'm in no way trying to commit any fraud, obviously don't want any police problems during visa process !! Just trying to play the game the best I can. As I say, I've never been out of work before and have always paid taxes, yet it seems many ohter people out there pay nothing and play the system perfectly and get everything.

Rete

In many states she is correct. Here in NYS that is correct. Whatever the other spouse accumulated prior to marriage is not considered part of the marital property.

meauxna

Well IMO you need to learn to be a better game player. Last week you posted that you sent your wife "over 12k dollars to bring me below threshold for legal aid."

As far as your wife's assets being 'hers' alone, you post yourself right here that it refers to the case of a divorce (and I'm not sure she's got her facts just straight).

What about the 180K GBP job you said you have? Or is that the $150K one that is waiting for you here in the US? Were you made redundant or quit your job? You posted both things. Maybe that doesn't matter for the jobseekers thing. That's not even going into the reason you posted that you need legal representation.

If you want to lie to gain a benefit from the UK government, that's up to you. I doubt many will follow your logic, but I could be wrong.

Eeteet

I was officially and legally 'made redundant' . I actually approached the CEO (my boss) and the Board and agreed a 'compromise agreement' which meant I got a tax free lump sum, it was legally a redundancy and in return, I was not allowed to work for 3 months. That's why I went to USA for 2 weeks in Oct, then nov 18th -26th Dec.

My job offer is on hold as the company (USA based with UK office) JUST changed their CEO literally 5 days before my offer letter. Therefore, ALL decisions and spending have been put on hold until he is in place and gives the go-ahead.

I sent my wife the money as I already agreed to pay her 1200 dollars per month to cover her loss of alimony , in order to run the house. But instead, I just did a lump some transfer to save charges each time AND at the same time, it meant my savings were below a level to get jobseekers allowance. I thought that being on this allowance automatically gives you legal aid, but I was wrong. However, the fact still remians that for all intense and purposes, I could have a wife who refuses to tell me what she has , and therefore I can't write it down.

It's just that I'm getting hammered on legal costs as my ex girlfriend has legal aid and therefore doesn't have to worry about costs, so I'm having to deal with frivilous and pointless letters that do not move us forward.

She has now agreed to go to mediation, which again is free for her but £180 per hour for me, so if she is awkward, I'm in trouble.

I have also still be paying her £500 per month child support since we split in June and the whole time I've been out of work, even though I don't have to, I have done on moral grounds and I kmow she doesn't NEED anywhere near that. Anyway, it just sucks that it's a totally unfair fight based on the fact I can't afford to fight too long or hard.

airways

On the bright side, its not FREE for her, it is deferred. The Legal aid board will come and get there money back in due course. They took a charge on my mums house that was settled when the mortgage was paid. Legal aid is never free, they just wait until an appropriate time to get recover it. So even if you blag it now, you will still have to pay later.................

Rete

Let me get this straight. You give you new wife $1,200 a month to run a household for herself and her kids while she is getting child support from the children's father and yet for your own flesh and blood child you bemoan the fact that you shell out 500 pounds a month not because you "have to" but because it is the moral thing to do? BTW it is not a matter of what SHE needs but what is owed to your child. And as a former single parent I can tell you $500 or 500 pounds doesn't cover all the monthly expenses of raising a child.

Actually to me, it sounds like you bought your new wife with a promised monthly income.

Yeah, it sucks to be on the losing side.

Eeteet

No, no, you have it wrong.

My son, whom I love dearly is fine. My ex Girlfriend gets 700 per month from government, is living in our house (for which I paid everything, even before our son she only worked for the first 2 years out of 7, then obviously not the last 4 years we've had him), is not paying mortgage and gets another 180 per month in benefits and some other things.

I DO NOT bemoan for one second my son having money to be taken care of, it's the fact that most of what I give actually gets stashed away in her bank account.

Even now, I have told her that if he needs anything critical and she can't afford it, I will buy it for him on my credit card, even though I have no income.

And what on earth does 'buy your wife' mean ??!! What are you implying ?

She had just enough to get by on before we married, so I am making up the difference she lost.

airways

Can I point out that the money from the government is actually provided by us the tax payer. Just as is money provided by legal aid.

You chose to breed, man up and learn to pay for it rather than expect the rest of us to.

It makes me deeply resentful to see people who choose to breed then try and avoid paying there dues.

Giantaxe

She's right in some, but not all, states. But I don't see how it's even relevant. Firstly, as the OP is applying for a UK benefit, he's required to follow English law as to what he has to declare regarding his spouse's assets. Secondly, as you point out, the concept of these assets not being "marital property" really is only relevant to splitting assets in the event of a divorce. I'd be surprised if they didn't have to be declared for the purposes of means-tested benefits even in the US.

And on a slightly different tack, I wouldn't be "impressed" with a spouse who was seemingly so secretive about the assets they were bringing into the marriage either.

Eeteet

Have you read what I wrote?????

I have worked for 20 years and been paying over £5,000 PER MONTH in tax for the last 9 years , so don't you dare cast such aspertions at me !!!!!

I pay all my dues, in fact, if you learn to read, you'll see I'm paying much more so.

ALL I am asking, is how I might get a LITTLE bit of help now I have no job. I only last week went to Jobseekers, so even then I waited 4 months before doing so !!! AND I am going to get contribution based not income based, which is the one you get BECAUSE you've paid your dues.

you owe me an apology

Eeteet

OK, thanks, I see what you mean; it is probably viewed as a joint asset?

She isn't hiding anything from me, I'm saying, hypothetically WHAT IF, she did ? How can it be fair to be means tested if you don't have ACCESS to that 'means' ? lol

I guess I'm just frustrated at the system thats all, but then , I've never before had to be in the system so it's all very new to me.

If you are given a million bucks, in a locked, never to be opened safe, and you can never ever have the money, are you still a millionaire ? lol