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Fair share

14 replies

Commonhousewitch · 16/02/2024 23:50

I have posted about my DP before - i don't really want to discuss our "relationship" just the financial side.
Background- we have been together unmarried for 20 years - have one child. I have always been the biggest earner. When DS was born DP was officially primary carer (DS was in nursery 3 days a week - taken/collected by me.... primary school DP did most of school runs although i generally looked after DS during weekends- so not as clear cut)- DS is pretty independent now.
DP used to work a bit and contribute a share to income. Post DS he has barely worked or kept income to himself. When"we" bought a house he wouldn't contribute any capital (he had sold a house previously ) or go on the mortageg- therefore he isn't on the deeds.
We've been through some downs financially- i lost my job - eventually got a lower paying one - funded the gap in our living expenses from savings (DP's only suggetsion during this time was we could downsize- no suggestion he would get a job) - i did fund his retraining at this time (although i never thought that "career" would really pay anything - and have been proved right - although he hasn't really tried)
Currently we are overseas( had to follow my job- he loves the place i don't) - i pay for everything- he will not get a job (excuses include- he needs a job to fit around childcare- i've always said we can get childcare to fit after he has a job- now its not even relevant, he can't find a job he likes - i didn't realise you had to like them - or he finds the idea of work stressful!) - he is doing some part time work but he keeps this money to himself- his argument is that it reduces what he takes out of the joint account- he uses the joint account for everything- my birthday present, his mothers birthday present, accommodation for himself etc

I found out last night ( a flippant remark)- that he still has all the savings from his house sale (or at the very least a substantial proportion of them) - so has had income for this and has been building a savings pot all this time - i am furious- when i lost my job i really needed a break and couldn't because of money, we didn't have another child because of money/my need to work - he has watched me use my savings - not save into my pension and he has this money. He is living the life of a retired person now- a little bit of pottering around work, no responsibilities everything paid for- at my expense. I tried to get him to admit that it was just wrong and he won't.

I'm trying to work out what to do. I'm consulting lawyers about what happens if we split up (NOT IN uk) - but want him to contribute - either a set amount (percentage of house outgoings), or a different amount or insist he works or shares savings - i just want him to understand how unreasonable he is being - how do i make him see

OP posts:
wanttokickoffbutcant · 17/02/2024 00:54

Cut off the joint account? It’s not joint if he puts nothing in it and has his own money.

Donkeysdontdance · 17/02/2024 06:20

You will never make him see as he doesn’t want to

GinForBreakfast · 17/02/2024 06:28

Just cut him off from all your money and he will have to use his.

WuTangGran · 17/02/2024 07:57

Stop enabling him by continuing to fund this behaviour from your income.

Commonhousewitch · 14/03/2024 23:44

I'm struggling to reconcile this with the advice to SAHP to keep their own money/have an escape fund to be honest.
"D"P is arguing that I knew about it (i pointed out that if i did know about it why am i so upset about it) - he thinks it is consistent with me not telling him what savings i have. I've been thinking about this as i fundamentally think it is but have been struggling to articulate. I think the issue is that the amount of savings i have makes no difference - i am funding 100% of everything - if i have $100k of savings versus $1m it doesn't change the current status quo. if he had $1m of savings it would change it - does that make sense
he still won't tell me how much- despite saying i know he has it...

OP posts:
caringcarer · 15/03/2024 01:39

Close the joint account. Put essential bills in your name and only pay these. Gifts for his Mum and any money he wants to spend comes from his own savings or he works for money. Or split up. He sounds selfish.

CurlsnSunshinetime4tea · 15/03/2024 02:25

@Commonhousewitch when i recommend an escape fund i'm not recommending a vast amount as you suggest. i'm talking about the need to have a some money (from a few hundred to maybe a few K) NOT 100K not 1M.
and yes financial fidelity goes both ways so you not disclosing your income/outgoings (X amount comes off each pay for employee savings, tax sheltered pension, extended health benefits etc etc) is not how i believe a equal relationship works.
you and him have different views on money and honesty ultimately unless both of you fully disclose the truth this will eat you up. your partner might continue to put up with this as it appears he has the better deal out of the two.

missmollygreen · 15/03/2024 14:33

wanttokickoffbutcant · 17/02/2024 00:54

Cut off the joint account? It’s not joint if he puts nothing in it and has his own money.

Would you suggest this if it was a man moaning about his stay at home wife not having a job and finding out that he has a stash of money?

No chance

pickledandpuzzled · 15/03/2024 14:41

missmollygreen · 15/03/2024 14:33

Would you suggest this if it was a man moaning about his stay at home wife not having a job and finding out that he has a stash of money?

No chance

It’s not the same though. Women in that situation don’t have a pot of money. They’ve been prevented from building one, prevented from working, prevented from being able to access money at all generally speaking, by coercive men.

He hasn’t stayed off work to enable OP to work.
He hasn’t contributed to joint family success, had conversations about how to get by, helped OP manage finances, work hours etc.

SheepAndSword · 15/03/2024 14:42

Stop funding him right now. Did you sell the UK house?

whoneedssixteen · 15/03/2024 14:43

Transfer all the money from the joint account. Don't tell him. I don't think you can just close it without his knowledge and consent - but I know you can empty it. Pay direct bills from your own account.
I would also see this as a complete betrayal. I'd get him to leave. Immediately. He could fund his own lifestyle.
He is never going to tell you what he's got or contribute anything to the pot. Why would he???
Not sure of the law of course... but I'd also look for a new job - and longer term move back to where you're happy.

NoSquirrels · 15/03/2024 16:09

Stop putting money into the joint account. At least until you can agree a useful financial split. Remove him as additional cardholder on any credit cards. Move the bills into an account in your name and pay them from there. Pay for anything your child needs.

But he gets no personal spending money from now on. Not until you can address the proper financial split.

Commonhousewitch · 17/03/2024 23:22

pickledandpuzzled · 15/03/2024 14:41

It’s not the same though. Women in that situation don’t have a pot of money. They’ve been prevented from building one, prevented from working, prevented from being able to access money at all generally speaking, by coercive men.

He hasn’t stayed off work to enable OP to work.
He hasn’t contributed to joint family success, had conversations about how to get by, helped OP manage finances, work hours etc.

But its all just view point/opinion - he feels he has contributed -he feels he is restricted - much as i don't agree i would feel the same about a SAHM!

I told him this morning he has to tell me what he has ( "luckily" i realised that i have to disclose it at work to avoid insider trading etc- which rules i'm no longer compliant with...!!)

i felt annoyed with him when i realised he was working ( a couple of days a week ) and not putting money in the joint account; his argument was that it was pointless as ultimately he ended up in the same net position as he just took less out - which i understood in theory but didn't sit right (especially when he felt able to use his money to do big purchases for himself!)
This feels like a betrayal- i think because a lot of big decisions had been predicated on him having no money to contribute- he has sat and listened to me weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of renting versus buying without mentioning the money - and i still have no idea how much it is!

OP posts:
pickledandpuzzled · 18/03/2024 07:18

Commonhousewitch · 17/03/2024 23:22

But its all just view point/opinion - he feels he has contributed -he feels he is restricted - much as i don't agree i would feel the same about a SAHM!

I told him this morning he has to tell me what he has ( "luckily" i realised that i have to disclose it at work to avoid insider trading etc- which rules i'm no longer compliant with...!!)

i felt annoyed with him when i realised he was working ( a couple of days a week ) and not putting money in the joint account; his argument was that it was pointless as ultimately he ended up in the same net position as he just took less out - which i understood in theory but didn't sit right (especially when he felt able to use his money to do big purchases for himself!)
This feels like a betrayal- i think because a lot of big decisions had been predicated on him having no money to contribute- he has sat and listened to me weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of renting versus buying without mentioning the money - and i still have no idea how much it is!

“especially when he felt able to use his money to do big purchases for himself!)
This feels like a betrayal- i think because a lot of big decisions had been predicated on him having no money to contribute- he has sat and listened to me weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of renting versus buying without mentioning the money - and i still have no idea how much it is”

your words above show it isn’t just point of view. What big purchases did he make, and how did you think he afforded them? Have you made big ourchases?

He has let you be totally responsible for financing the family.
He has kept money back
You have made decisions based on wrong information- there was more money than you thought. Except of course he wasn’t prepared to let the family have that money.

If you had also kept a pot of money back…

Suggest you go part time too so you can also potter about. Why wouldn’t that be ok?
He’s refusing to work while also refusing to spend his own money.

If you cut him off from your income, what would he do?

If you start making decisions unilaterally like he has, and come home, what would he do?

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