Hello Jen

I am sorry your husband has left you in such a mess.

You are very lucky you own your home in the UK. Because you don't have a mortgage you can get proper legal advice and put your UK home in a trust with the minimum of cost and fuss.

If you had a mortgage this would be much more difficult.

Get a few UK credit cards before you transfer your home into the trust, then you can always blow them up on lawyer’s bills to fight your ex if you need to.

As long as your home is out of your name you can tell the Spanish banks to stick it. If they want to drag you through the courts they won't get anything.

The EU and the Spanish government are not doing much to help the young unemployed in Spain. I think a massive deflationary collapse in Spain, an exit from the euro and all the banks going bust could only help clear out the system. Then the young Spanish people might have a chance at a job.

I would not lose a minute’s sleep over letting your Spanish property go to hell. But sort out your assets in the UK first!

I would advise against destroying your savings or your income paying a repayment mortgage on a property in Spain. What a waste...