Who pays this speeding fine?

[weatherthorp]

A WWYD regarding paying a speeding fine. This isn’t causing any relationship angst, just interested in others’ perspectives.

A couple (A and B) have been together for 10 years, married for 3 years, parents for 1 year. Both have always worked full-time (on low/mid salaries) and split all joint expenses 50/50, paying individually for any personal expenses.

Since having a child, A has moved to part-time work to manage childcare and income is greatly reduced. B is still full-time. As a result, the couple have decided to pool all income so everything is shared together as a household – no more ‘personal’ expenses.

The day after this is decided, B receives a speeding fine in the post from the previous month. Should this speeding fine come out of the joint account or B’s personal account?

Pretty sure I paid for mine from my personal account but if I was skint (which I was often when part time) dh would've paid it.

Op said they pay into a joint account 50/50 and then have personal spends and personal savings

Person B got the speeding fine, person B wants to pay the fine out of their own account, why is person A getting involved? It’s not their fine, let person B get on with it

Well if person B, who has received the fine, thinks they should pay from their savings why is person A saying it should come out of the joint account? There's nothing more to discuss.
If it was the other way round and person B was trying to get it paid out of the joint account rather than their personal savings that might be something to discuss.
Person B pays it out of their savings and that's the end of it and hopefully they won't speed again.

Personal!

The drivers personal account.

The OP said…

”Since having a child, A has moved to part-time work to manage childcare and income is greatly reduced. B is still full-time. As a result, the couple have decided to pool all income so everything is shared together as a household – no more ‘personal’ expenses.”

Joint account, you’re either sharing or you’re not and bear in mind A might find themselves in a situation where they need support from the join pot in future

Joint if that’s the way you are pooling your money. We have a joint and have since day 1. If there’s going to be exceptions where does it end?

OP also said…
So at the time of the fine being received there was a joint account (which up until then had been paid into 50/50 for all bills/joint expenses and has some leftover money in) plus a personal account each (for personal expenses/savings).

OP then went on to say they pooled all money together but then went on to say…
From the end of that month all salary money and any expenses would go in/out of the joint account. Both A and B would retain their respective savings in the personal accounts but no expenses would come out

OP then also said person B could pay the fine out of their personal savings (because it’s in a personal account)

Joint. We pool everything and when I got a speeding fine recently it came out of the joint account.

So, as I said in an earlier post, the OP needs to make up her mind. She seems to want to have her cake and eat it too.

I’m not sure what you mean by that? OP was offering to help pay the cost of the fine

This is not going to end well.