I 45M have recently separated from my wife 49F.

I have always paid all bills and living expenses associated with our home and family. I have a reasonably high paying job, and she also has a mid level job. We have separate accounts but also a joint food/kids expenses account that only I contribute to. Previously I tried using the joint account for bills also but the money would always be spent on other things so I budget and pay bills from my own account.

Now that I have moved into an apartment, along with one of our children (17), I am basically trying to pay for 2 households. This becomes a little tiresome when the ex is using her income to buy luxuries/ go on holidays.

Do I need to keep paying those expenses while I am not living in our house, and while she is earning decent money? Would it be considered abandonment? I’m worried that if I try to pass the bills over to her she simply won’t pay them and I’ll end up getting dragged into it anyway along with overdue fees, etc.