One thing you’ll have to do during your divorce is divide up the furniture. This can be tricky, as when you and your ex partner come to live in seperate houses you’ll both need the same things, such as a sofa, dining table and of course the white goods. Often arguments will ensue over who gets what. This can be particularly problematic if you have any antique furniture, as the value of the furniture has to be assessed by an independent expert in order for you and your ex to decide who keeps it, and what the other person receives in lieu of the furniture.

I had a problem like this during my divorce, as I was keeping the house and most of the furniture inside it. I paid my ex-wife for the property, and the furniture, as according to the deal we’d struck up in court, which was signed by a judge. So everything seemed fine, a done deal?

However when I entered the house I found that the wardrobes had been stolen by my ex-wife and her family. I’d paid for them, they were mine, but she’d nicked them, and there was nothing I could do about it. I could have gone through the courts, but it wasn’t worth it for furniture that cost under £500, so I just had to write it off.

Luckily the antique Welsh dresser I had was still there as she hadn’t bothered to take it. I’d call nicking some wardrobes from Argos and leaving an antique dresser a pretty stupid act, but hey!

Clive Bellmore