Can She Claim Half The House?

[NoMercy]

My husband's best friend and his wife have just split after 4 years of marriage. Neither has any children.

During this marriage he's loaned her around £16k to set up her hair salon and for their trip to Australia last Christmas.

It turns out he owns his mother's house (she's late 70s) and basically the wife is saying she has no intention of repaying the money she owes and if he tries to recover any of the money, she'll go for half his mother's house.

She has previously been blacklisted and has brought no assets into the marriage.

Can she legally make a move on her mother in law's house which is in her estranged husband's name?

[albaqwerty]

a hitwoman would be cheaper due to the gender pay-gap

[ummmm]

Lol Albs....very witty :-D

[maggiebee]

Not sure about English law, but under Scottish law the wife would be entitled to half of the value of the home if it is in her husband's name. Either the house would have to be sold or valued and the wife gets half the value.

[ladybirder]

So no difference in Scottish Law whether they have been married for 10 minutes or 40 years Maggie?

[NoMercy]

Thanks everyone for your answers. She now wants a quickie divorce and she's offered to pay for it. She's agreed to only take what's hers on the basis he doesn't ask for the other money back.

She still insists there's no one else but why is she desperate to get out of the marriage so quickly?

[ladybirder]

Does it really matter NoM? If someone wants out they want out. Won't make any difference knowing except being hurt perhaps.

[maggiebee]

No difference Ladybirder unless there's some kind of pre-nup agreement. My friend's daughter remarried about 9 years ago - the agreement made at that time was that her husband only had an interest in the property from the date they married.

[ladybirder]

That seems fair to me Maggie, from the date of the marriage I mean.
Not the Scottish Laws though.