Going through a divorce can be an emotionally challenging process, and sorting out joint finances, especially when a mortgage is involved, adds an extra layer of complexity. Here’s your guide to getting a mortgage after a divorce, made simple.
How divorce affects your mortgage
If both partners are on the same mortgage, both will remain responsible for repayments until a financial settlement is reached, even if one of you moves out. Missing payments comes with repercussions, such as damaged credit scores or even property repossession, so this is an important point to remember.
What you need to do if getting a divorce
The first thing you’re going to need to do is tell your lender. They may be able to offer temporary solutions to help with short-term financial problems. Second, you’re going to want to discuss dividing the home and come up with some compromises. All of the below options should be discussed with legal counsel involved:
- Sell up and move out: selling the house and splitting the proceeds could be the clean break you need, and you can agree on how the value should be divided
- Continue making joint payments: if you decide that one partner should stay, you can agree to both continue making repayments on the mortgage, especially if children are involved.
- Buy your partner out: it’s possible for one partner to buy the other’s share, which would involve a transfer to sole ownership
- Transfer part of the home: you can transfer a portion of the property’s home as part of the financial settlement. This would involve coming to an agreement about who owns what share of the property.
NB: If you are in negative equity, options will have to include splitting the outstanding debt, or negotiating with your lender.
Mortgage rights and legal considerations
Even if you’re not on the property’s deeds, marital homes can still be registered through the Land Registry. It’s important to seek out legal advice to understand your rights, especially if your partner owned the property before you were married.
Getting expert advice
While it’s rare to find a mortgage adviser who specialises in divorce, an adviser can help you explore all the options available to you.
When dealing with any kind of complex mortgage case, we always recommend speaking to a mortgage adviser, as they can help you deal with the pressure and handle all the paperwork for you, so you can focus on what’s important.
Get in touch with us today to discuss your options for getting a mortgage after a divorce.
Important information
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend on your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
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