Looking for Legal Advice

Hi, thank you for posting on the forum.

This sounds like a difficult situation to be in for you and also your mother in law. Please do come through on our helpline for further support and to talk it through with an adviser : tel: 08088020133 https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/talk-to-us-now/

You could also look into support for financial abuse through women's aid: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/financial-abuse/

For some legal advise on the situation you could look into these organisations here:

https://rightsofwomen.org.uk/

https://weareadvocate.org.uk/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/

Hope this helps, please contact us for anything you need

Many thanks, 

Lauren 

Forum Admin

Posted by: @llllllll

So I’ll keep it brief

does anyone have any advice on how to tackle this from a legal perspective or any tips on how to protect her as a starting point?

Yes forget about it

You are angry and want revenge but legally it's not going to happen without pouring money you probably haven't got down a black hole 

Petty fraud is difficult and expensive to prove at the best of times without adding a family element into it 

Cut him off and move on with your lives 

Hello and Welcome to the forum.

I think my best advice is to Warn her and get your feelings about the situation across. You are entitled to your say and your opinion on the matter. I feel you should talk to your father in law to see if he will listen to your concerns.

I always advise reality checks and you can only give what you see as reality and what is not acceptable to you. I dont see any point hiding your feelings if you want to help

Protect your money and I would be proactive in trying to protect other family members. How they deal with the information is a matter for them. I don't know your relationships with the people involved

It's difficult as I don't know if your mother in law is asking for help. Gambling addiction is a very serious matter as is relationship abuse like financial manipulation. It reads like an abusive relationship which a gambling addiction will exacerbate.

From a legal point of view she will be weighed up as an adult of sound mind so what can be done unless she makes a complaint about possible fraud. As another poster has said, this can be very difficult to prove if she has signed for loans etc

Now legal action costs and often the only winners are the solicitors and lawyers. You can reach out for support and other advice but its a difficult situation and I suppose a worst case scenario is that you are accused of interfering in their lives

You are doing the right thing by coming on here and I hope a one to one talk with gamcare can help you further

Best wished from everyone on the forum

Are there other family members that can weigh-in and help with all of this?  It sounds like a situation where an intervention and ultimatums should be put into place.  I feel for your mother-in-law and the whole family. 
I hate gambling.  I wish someone would have given me an ultimatum.  I may have woken up much sooner and the destruction of my life (and FAR more importantly my children’s lives) could have been minimized a bit.

Be Strong,

Greg