Sally, I would look into the down payment issue. If it was money he saved before the marriage, then it would be considered his seperate funds and he would be entitled to reimbursement. If it is money that he earned during the marrtiage, and especially if it was put into a joint account, then it is marital funds. Your contributions toward the marriafge count, even though they were not financial. Any money that is earned during the marriage is joint and should be considered as such. This is one issue my X has such a hard time accepting. I finally said to him the other day during an argument "although you don't value my contributions to our marriage, the state of Virginia does, and that is why they set the standards they do." He can't get past his feeling that I don't "deserve spousal support." He actually said that I "rode in on the coattails of good wives and mothers." I laughed and hung up. Like there are men out there saying "my X was a good wife and mother, so I divorced her and I am so happy to pay her support." Duh, most men don't feel their wives deserve it! That's why there are laws protecting spouses! Make sure you know what the standard is in your area and protect yourself.
"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." Jon Kabat-Zinn
