“Can I change the locks to the family home to stop my ex getting back in the house?”
This question comes up quite often for family law professionals.
In the large majority of cases the answer the client receives is something like – “I don’t recommend you do that”.
So why do family law professionals deter their clients from changing the locks to the family home? Here are the 3 most common reasons –
🔑 If you are married, both you and your ex have legal and financial rights to the family home.
🔑 If you change the locks, your spouse would be within their rights to change the locks back and re enter the home.
🔑 Changing the locks would be seen as an aggressive step to have taken during your separation and is likely to aggravate your ex.
However –
If your ex is abusive, and you are wanting to change the locks to protect you and/or the children, please:
- Call 999 and ask for the police if the threat of harm is imminent, and
- Take advice from a specialist family law solicitor about emergency court orders that can be applied for.
Don’t rush into changing the locks to punish your ex. Pause and take professional advice about your options.
You could also avoid needing to consider changing the locks, by reaching a sensible arrangement with your ex, involving perhaps-
a. your ex agreeing to give you their house keys if they have made arrangements to move out of the property, or
b. if they wish to retain their keys for the time being, you could agree on what notice period you would need before they attend the property, should they wish to collect some of their personal items from the house.
If you have found the tips in this blog useful then you’ll find lots more in my eBooks, which you can – purchase and download today.
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