Advice on financial situation...

[Midnightspecial]

A & B are a couple, together 7 years and living together.

Person A earns £25k a year and has approximately £10k in savings.

Person B earns £76k a year and has £94k in savings, plus a further £18k inheritance just recieved.

Couple need to put money towards something this will cost roughly £18-20k and is to be split 50/50 so each person pays £9-10k each towards it.

Person A has piped up now the inheritance has come through and said that they feel it isn’t ‘fair’ that they have to wipe out their life savings completely and that they want to pay less than half. When asked why, they have just said it doesn’t feel right that one person is left with nothing and the other left with a lot.

Person B thinks that it isn’t fair that they pay more. That it was agreed half and, really, that’s that.

Thoughts?

The fact that it is a wedding makes it different to me than if it were a car/boat/investment of some kind.

For an investment, I’d say 50/50 because A and B aren’t married.

For a wedding, I would say it depends on how you intend to treat money after the wedding and whether or not you have a pre nap. I think this is a good opportunity to talk about all of that before marriage.

If you decide that, after marriage, you will be a 50/50 joint venture or partnership, then it is a moot point and A and B can both pay 50/50 for the wedding and have access to joint savings and inheritance afterwards. Or B can pay for it all and share A’s savings after the fact.

If A and B intend to get married but not co-mingle money, then it should be split 50/50. A and B should also take seriously about long term plans for the future, specifically what standard of living they will have in retirement when one has very little money and the other can afford round the world cruises etc. Would B be willing to treat A then? Would B travel and leave A alone at home? Would B expect A to cough up and come along and make savings elsewhere?

@TemptedToSleepInTheShed

Person B is right. If it is a shared expense, share it equally. Person A should be grateful to B because A would not be able to do it at all alone….

Well no, you can’t have a wedding with just one person. Kind of obvious no?

I do know it’s a zombie!

I'm with person B here. 50/50 always the fairest solution.

I love you so much, will you marry me

Yes

Ok hand over your entire savings to pay for your half while I keep my 100k to myself

This marriage is doomed. Does B realise A could potentially get half of their savings in the event of a divorce?