There’s a saying in journalism regarding prioritizing stories that “if it bleeds, it leads.” This is true for money in any relationship, particularly in your marriage.
Finances are often a source of friction between spouses. These issues can stem from a disparity in income which then creates a divide
If you are not constantly communicating, problems could be on the horizon
Some questions that you’ll need to visit often include
- Do you share bank accounts or maintain individual ones?
- Does a separation of financial accounts indicate a lack of trust?
- Are household expenses split equally or do you each shell out an equal percentage of your overall income?
- Does the “bread-winner” have final say in major financial decisions?
- Does one of you contribute less from a dollar & cents aspect, but cover more of the household responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, household repairs, etc.)?
- Is one of you a stay at home parent because your young children take priority over income potential and otherwise you’d have to pay for childcare so that income would become a wash anyway?
- Is one of you looking to change your career path and as a result needs to pursue further education to make that switch possible, resulting in additional costs and lower take-home pay in the interim?
Now, when everything is on the up and up, spouses may say “What’s mine is yours” as if we all have access to the same pot of money. The bills are collective, and the unpaid tasks are not only appreciated but valued as truly necessary.
However, if and when paradise is lost – what happens?
Burdens, paychecks, and assets which were shared can become singular. Spoken agreements disappear as if they were never said. Things that were “ours”, quickly become “mine”.
The trust is broken and ones financial footing may collapse even before you heard or think the word “divorce”. It gets even messier when alimony payments or child custody are at play upon separation.
Lies are common, and that’s why we do our best to document the truth using video/photographic surveillance to ensure the best outcome for our clients.
