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Marriage, relationships & families

Discuss the MoneySaving implications of relationships and family life.

MoneySaving mums

A place for mums with kids of all ages to discuss parent MoneySaving matters.

971 discussions 13.8K comments Most recent: Money Moral Dilemma: When should I tell my son I can't afford for him to go to a private school? by pomcycle 26 September at 2:34PM
MoneySaving dads

A place for dads with kids of all ages to discuss parent MoneySaving matters.

371 discussions 4.1K comments Most recent: Child maintenance increase by Northern_Wanderer 12 September at 9:50PM
Deaths, funerals & probate

Get MoneySaving help at the time of bereavement - discuss wills, inheritance tax, estate planning and more.

12.8K discussions 134.5K comments Most recent: Calculating IHT when two life interest trusts are involved by alkynance Today at 12:03AM
Pets & pet care

For MoneySaving questions about taking care of your cat, dog, parrot or other animal companion, including vet fees and pet insurance.

15.9K discussions 250K comments Most recent: Doodle Dog Buying Advice / Health Issues by sheramber 11 October at 4:55PM

Money Moral Dilemma: Should I ask my ex-fiancée if I can have the engagement ring I gave her back?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I asked my (then) girlfriend to marry me and she said yes, but not long after she changed her mind, and we soon broke up. No one was to blame; we just grew apart. We have two children together and we're still on good terms. I have some money struggles - nothing too bad but it…
Financial Consent Order Form D81
Ex husband and I split up amicably and obtained an online Divorce (Final Order) in May 24. We have agreed to split home and savings 50/50 and he is living elsewhere. We are both retired and have separate SP and DB pensions. We have agreed to keep our own SP and DB pensions and neither will claim on the other. No children…
Joint accounts
We have joint accounts for work and state pensions? We have set a monthly standing order years ago for our adult son and grandson? That’s surplus pension income. Will that be considered deprivation of assets if one of us need care in the future.Might it be better if I transfer my pensions into my sole account? Not sure…
Passport renewal and divorce
My UK passport has ran out and I am looking to renew it. I am going through a divorce at the moment but I do not intend to change my name after divorce, which I understand I am entitled to do. Can I renew my passport now and not have to change it after divorce because I am not changing my name? Do I need to inform the…
Turning 16 - what to consider financially?
My eldest daughter is going to be 16 soon and we’re trying to help her consider everything finance-related for a 16 year old. She already has a bank account and now has her NI number. She’ll get a 16-25 railcard (using Tesco points of course). What else should we be thinking about? ISAs? Anything else she can get once…
Separation Agreement and Pension
We are looking to apply for a consent order but there is now a delay with getting a CETV from the Teacher Pension Scheme, so we are thinking about getting a separation agreement as that could allow me to buy my husband out of our home and he can go and buy a new house. Has anyone had experience or have knowledge of a…
Friend is annoyed I am not going to a game with him
Me any my best friend have gone to rugby games together since we were in primary school. There is a game coming up in a few weeks that he really wanted to go to, and so do I, however the game is a week after my girlfriend is due to give birth so I told him months ago I wouldn't be going and he seemed with it. But now that…
Birthday and Christmas Gifts for friend’s grandchildren…
I’d be interested to know if anyone else here buys gifts on birthdays and Christmas for a good friend’s grandchildren? I’ve been doing this for a few years but I have to admit I’m wondering whether to stop. It’s not as if I ever see them either. It’s not about the money as such, it’s more whether it’s a sensible thing to…
Announcing pregnancy
My girlfriend is 13 weeks pregnant and we’re going for our scan tomorrow. We have kept the pregnancy secret from absolutely everyone and agreed to tell our family once we’ve had the scan. However, now it’s nearly time to announce the pregnancy I’m starting to feel nervous about how my family will take it. Back at the…
Parent moving to care home, wants me to live in her house with my family, what about my sister?
This is quite a likely scenario, my mother has been diagnosed with early stage alzheimers, she's expressed a preference for moving to a care home (when the time comes she needs full-time care, and I'm hoping a care annuity from her savings can cover this), and for me to move into her house with my wife and child. I would…
Short marriage - What to do?
Asking on behalf of my son. His wife has left him after less than a year of marriage. Her decision came rapidly and unexpected. Not that the reason is relevant just establishing why DS head is currently in a spin over it all and not completely aware what he legally needs to do. I'm aware they can't divorce until they've…
Lending money to family
I have been asked to borrow about 3k to a family member with bad credit he is wanting to consolidate his debts into one payment he can’t get a loan out because he has bad credit he says he will pay me back every month. What are peoples thoughts on this?
Marriage tax allowance
Hi everyone. I got married in 2016 and we've had a child in 2021, my partner stopped working and I claimed marriage tax allowance. We were successful and my tax code changed to 1389m and we got a cheque through the post but a couple of weeks later we had to pay that money back! Is it me or is it a waste of time backdating…
Separation
My wife of 25 years, has decided she wants a separation, At first everything was amicable, we have done a separation agreement which she still has not signed. She is now starting to get difficult. We agreed on 50-50 split of the house, and for me to pay for my 17 year old, £100 a week, until 18 or finished education. She…
Divorce financial settlement - chasing ex's solicitor
Id politely requested a response from my ex wife's solicitor by 24th May to my letter, which was a month after they had received it. Coming up to three weeks on, is it OK to email the solicitor asking for an update?
Gifting second property to child vs. gifting money - most sensible option?
I'm wondering what is the best option for my mother who has retired abroad and owns two properties in Scotland. * Property A was her primary residence for 18 years and was rented out for 2 years. It's value is about £430k. There is £20k left on the mortgage. * Property B was her primary residence for 4 years, and for the…
Divorce and Financial Settlement
I am currently going through a Divorce awaiting the conditional order period to lapse. I did want to apply much earlier however family court proceedings were the priority, the outcome was that I now am the Primary carer for our two Children aged 12 and 6 and we currently still reside in the family home. The boys Mum…
Separation Advice
My nine-year unmarried partner and I recently separated. I moved into his rented house when we initially started dating, after four years, he had saved up enough cash to buy his own place. He had stated that he had worked extremely hard to save for a deposit and that someday the property would go to his daughter (from a…
Splitting Mortgage Payments Fairly
Hi All, My partner (M,27) and I (F,27) are in the process of saving for a house. We are keen to know what works for others/ others opinions when it comes to splitting mortgage payments/household bills, along with any pros and cons of each. Currently, we are both working full time, Mr earns more and is likely to keep…
Income calculation/ adjusted net
Hi I am self employed If my gross income ( turnover - expenses) is £70,000 If I pay £1000 with bank transfer into a SIPP. The pension companies at some point I believe claims some tax benefits on the £1000 SIpp and add it to my pension so should total £1200 pension in the SIPP account. To calculate my tax bill and child…