DEAR CHRISTINE – House problem after break-up

Dear Christine, 
I wrote to you earlier this month about a friend of mine needing some advice on a house she had shared with her children’s father. At that time you told me you needed more information to be able to help, so here it is. 
My friend and her children’s father were involved for over 13 years. They built the house together. However, she spent most of the money on it because at the time he was not working. 
After the house was finished, slowly but surely things between them started to deteriorate. They eventually broke up. 
That is when she went to a lawyer and he told her if she wanted to claim anything on the house, she would have to move out. 
As I told you before, this case has been going on for a long time. The lawyer she went to was from Legal Aid.
The father of the children has no intentions of giving my friend her share of what is owed to her from the house, so what can she do? 
– ER 
 
Dear ER,
This matter definitely needs to be dealt with by the law courts as negotiation between your friend and her former partner seems impossible.   
As both of them contributed to the building of the house, a determination needs to be made as to the percentage of their investment, so I hope she has her bills.   
When that is completed the house could be sold and the money divided; or, if one of them can pay  the other, then that should be done. 
As for your query about the attorney which we deleted here for legal reasons, I would suggest you get a new lawyer to fight this case. I hope this helps.
– Christine