A
female
age
,
anonymous
writes:I have made a terrible mistake. I got married in Jamaica 18 years ago. We broke up about 6 months later and neither of us bothered getting divorced because it was in a foreign country and we thought we'd never get found out. I met a new man and we have been married for 15 years. I told my new husband that I was divorced. My current 'husband' now wants a divorce and has been to the marriage office in Jamaica and found the orginal certificate showing I was married but can find no record of any divorce. He is going for nullity and if I make a fuss he will have me for bigamy. We own a lot of property and have children. Any ideas on what I should do? My existing solicitor will no longer deal with me because I lied to him about saying I was divorced in the first marriage. Will I be entitled to anything from this 'marriage' or will he be able to take everything as I am not legally married?
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broke up, divorce, my ex Reply to this Question
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Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
reader, anonymous, writes (15 May 2008): Go to another solicitor, you have done a stupid thing, but it is now use beating yourself up about it now. Now you have to settle it properly or you stand to lose quite a bit. Change solicitors today. But in future, tell the bloody truth.
A
female
reader, Susan Strict +, writes (15 May 2008):
 You probably need a new lawyer who specialises in this. Check out the Law Society's web site and then phone a few of them.
Bigamy is criminal, although prosecutions are rare. Whether or not your second marriage was legal, you are entitled to a reasonable share of the property and assets accumulated between you during your relationship. He cannot say that he will go for a bigamy charge if you try to claim what is rightfully yours, because that's blackmail and a very serious criminal offense. But he may well be able to avoid many of the usual requirements for maintenance and support after a divorce.
It would be much better to be able to settle this between you without lawyers. Is there any chance of that? Once the legal sharks get their teeth into the pair of you, they are the only real winners out of the whole thing.
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