Thanks Guys,
quick browsing on the net suggests that such insurance policies exist in other countries, (USA private mortgage insurance) but rather it is the lender who takes out the policy with the insurer and the borrower pays the premium, in the event of default the policy pays the lender any short fall after a property has been sold, i guess this amounts to the same thing as the bottom line is my ex does not want to have to fork out! but that is USA don't know of any such schemes here!!!! looks like Ulster Bank will be getting a tracker of their books :-(((