When you’re going through divorce and your wife has left the house, which sometimes happens, especially if she’s looking to get housed, you’ll have the problem of nothing being secure in your home. You could come home and find that your possessions have been taken, your food has gone and even money has been taken. Is there anything that you can do about it?

Divorce solicitors sometimes offer contradicting advice on the matter of changing the locks on your house to keep your wife out. Firstly, if your home is in joint names, your wife has a legal right to enter the property. Therefore if you do change the locks on your house she has the right to call a locksmith and have them changed again.

This tit-for-tat could go on, with you both changing the locks, until a judge makes a ruling, which will most likely be that no one can change the locks and no one can remove anything from the house without written permission from the other person.

So, if your wife is continually entering your house when she no longer lives there and stealing your things, change the locks. Be prepared for her to do the same though.

Clive Bellmore