Since my blog post about the murky area surrounding the legality of property I’ve had several searches to this website surrounding the question of whether your wife can change the locks to your house when you’re getting divorced.

Sadly this again is murky. While it may well be a jointly owned house if your wife feels threatened in any away she can refuse you access to the property, so yes, she can change the locks. The situation gets even more murky if she moves out and you remain in the house. In this instance if the financial dispute is ongoing you would be advised not to change the locks yourself because she could use that against you in court, and she has a right to enter the property.

She could of course enter the house herself while you’re not there and change them to lock you out. There is nothing illegal in her doing this, but if she doesn’t reside in the property you would have a right to break in and change them back again.

Remember, this is so long as she doesn’t reside there. You cannot break in if she lives in the house!

Simply put either of you can change the locks, but if your wife lives elsewhere either of you can change them back again. It’s best to avoid the situation altogether because changing locks several times a week is both pointless and expensive.

Clive Bellmore