When a couple separate it is usually the case that one party leaves the home and takes what they can fit in a suitcase. This leaves the other party with the remainder of their property. So, what can you do with your ex’s property, regardless of whether it is valuable or sentimental, can you legally dispose of it, what happens if you do and are there any other options available?
The short answer is, legally, you can’t dispose of their property. Before you dispose of your ex-spouse’s property you are required to give them reasonable notice to collect their belongings, if you do dispose of it, you can be held liable for reasonable replacement costs.
Some alternatives to disposing of the property can be, providing them a notice in writing of a time they can attend the home to collect their belongings, often this can be a day that you will be away from the home. You can arrange for a mutual third party to attend the home with your ex-spouse to assist in mediating any difficulties. Lastly, you can use the assistance of an independent place such as storage facilities, this allows for no interaction with either party and can assist in a smoother transition.
Where there is an inability to communicate in any form, legal representation can assist by way of communicating on your behalf, mediation or if necessary, commencing proceedings.
Adams and Partners have a team of trained family law solicitors who can assist you in navigating the minefield that surrounds family and relationship breakdowns, contact our office today if you would like to learn more.