I’d assumed it would be simple since the accounts were originally in my name and the house was my property. But when I called the electric company, they told me they needed both signatures to remove an authorized user. I explained that we were separated and he’d been ordered to stay away from me. The customer service representative said she understood, but company policy required both signatures.
I asked to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor repeated the same policy. I spent 3 hours on the phone that day getting nowhere. Liam helped me figure out a workound. He drafted affidavit stating that I was the sole property owner and that my husband had added his name to the accounts without my permission. We attached copies of the deed, the prenup, and the restraining order.
Then Liam called the utility companies himself and worked his way up the chain until he found someone willing to review the documentation. It took 3 weeks of frustrating phone calls and multiple rounds of paperwork. The electric company finally removed his name after 2 weeks. The water company took longer because they had different verification procedures.
Every time I thought we’d cleared the last hurdle, another requirement would pop up. My husband refused to cooperate out of spite, ignoring calls from the utility companies and refusing to sign anything his lawyer sent over. He was leaving bills in limbo, hoping it would force me to contact him directly. Liam warned me not to take the bait.
He said my husband was looking for any excuse to claim I’d violated the restraining order or to reestablish communication. Eventually, we got everything straightened out, but it took way more time and energy than it should have. I reclaimed full control of my household utilities and had all the account numbers changed, so my husband couldn’t access any information about my usage or billing.
Two weeks after the restraining order hearing, Victoria called to tell me my husband’s lawyer had sent over a letter. I asked if it was about the divorce, and she said, “Not exactly.” She read it to me over the phone. The letter proposed that we pause the divorce proceedings and try separation counseling instead. It was full of therapy language about communication breakdowns and blended family challenges.