Part of the finalising of the family mediation service, is that the agreement is brought to a solicitor and drafted to a legal document, the other party's solicitor then agrees with the document, and it is submitted into court as a legal document.

I went to the solicitor, I didn't have the copy of the document with me, as I was still awaiting for the typed version, but I needed to see how much it would cost so I was going around to get costs, and compare advice etc. Thank god as I have said before for this recession at times, it means you get free advice from a solicitor on first consultation, so I was hoping to do this over the next few weeks.

So anyway, I went to one, he was based in the locality, but I dont know him, suits me. He took the details, he seems like a nice guy, he asked me loads of questions, and then he told me what I already knew, that I was getting a poor deal, I seemed to be meeting all educational, medical, insurance bills, and he was paying half the mortgage and 38euro a week per child. He told me that it should be more, I explained how difficult it had been to get to this stage, and this amount, and that it looked like the first payment was going to be short anyway. I showed him the email and texts that himself had sent me, and he was totally unhappy with these.

He advised me of my options, told me which one he thought was going to be beneficial to me, told me the costs, which although is dear was not as bad as I thought it could be, and asked me what I wanted to do.

I told him I was going to try and get the agreement into court so that it could be enforced if he defaulted, but didnt really want to start a court battle with him, so I was prepared to accept the payment in the agreement if I could get the cash off him every week, I told him if I could afford it I would not look for a penny off him, but I couldnt, so that option was not available and I was not prepared just to draft a legal document, without court enforcement, so it looks like that will be my route and hope for the best with the payments.

He said it was up to me, but all things considered, he did not trust my ex to make the payments by himself, and his behaviour up to this had not been that of an honourable man, and his advice to me was with him or a different solicitor, make it a enforceable document.

My time with the solicitor was nearly up, he asked me the last question, he said it was very important, and very necessary for him in order that he does what is legally required by him to me.

Is there any chance of hope of a reconcillation between you and your husband.

I looked him square in the eyes, drew my breath, and said what I have been thinking for a long time now.

"Not If He was Dipped in Dettol, and Rolled in Gold, would I take him back ever"

Okay said the solicitor, I'll put that down as a no then.