Last month I was diagnosed with grade 3/stage 2 breast cancer.

I had critical illness cover still in place with an ex partner but he is now refusing to even sign the paperwork unless I give him 50% of the payout. I have contacted the insurance company (Legal and General) who have been little help, saying they won’t pay up without his signature. 

Morally, ethically, this obviously feels so wrong. The treatment has already left me unable to work, I have been lucky enough to be placed on a research trial but the treatment is intense -

chemo every two weeks for 8 weeks, then chemo every week for 12 weeks (with hormone therapy added in every three weeks), surgery, and 30 weeks of hormone therapy and then obviously reconstructive surgery. 

The full payout isn’t enough to clear my mortgage but it would have allowed me to take a year off and concentrate on getting better without any financial worries. My new partner has taken at least two months off to care for me (picked much better this time around...!)

I’ve been contacting Solicitors this morning for advice, most wriggle away saying it’s not really their area of expertise but one has kindly agreed to go through the policy detail for me. Fingers crossed.

Does anyone out there have any experience of this and can offer any advice?