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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.

970 discussions 13.7K comments Most recent: Removing long hair from carpet by elsien 9 August at 8:16PM
MoneySaving dads

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

367 discussions 4K comments Most recent: Increase in child custody from 40/60 to 50/50 by marcia_ 9 June at 1:46PM
Deaths, funerals & probate

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

12.6K discussions 132.7K comments Most recent: Internment of ashes. Advice by WYSPECIAL Today at 4:39PM
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 249.9K comments Most recent: Outrageous Vet charges by thriftytracey 9 August at 10:13AM

Witness to a power of attorney dies
Hi, i had a financial power of attorney made for my elderly Mum in 2018! My sister and i were attorneys and my lovely next door neighbour agreed to sign it as a witness. My mum went into a carehome a couple of years later with dementia. However my neighbour has recently died. So i wondered do i need to do anything? Do we…
Penalty Notice for Non Attendance
So I know I was lucky to take my kids away on holiday last year Oct 22. This holiday was originally booked 2 years previous but we all know what happened then. So i've got the notice today, why has it taken weeks? The question I have is that they have fined both parents, we're both at the same address married which we were…
Adoption leave and shared parental leave
Any advice as both our workplaces are a bit confused, as are we. I'll try and stick to basic facts. - Myself and my partner are adopting soon - We understand we get 50 weeks of shared parental leave - We are planning to take 15 weeks off together initially (which would therefore count as 30 weeks of leave?) - Partner will…
Nursing home fees query - will shortfall of fees need to re-paid to council? (Mindfield!)
Writing on behalf of a good friend who wants advice, aware he will need to get expert legal advice ultimately but having had people (including professionals) voicing completely differing opinions, thought he could come here first, to see if anyone here could help make situation clearer first. I will try and keep brief: My…
Slow Solicitor
Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help? My sister's relationship has broken down and she has moved out of the house that she owns outright with her partner. He is refusing to sell the property and she has signed up with a solicitor to sort it out, but in a whole YEAR the solicitor has sent one letter and has run up a bill of…
Recovering Car From Ex
Hi, I purchased a car for my ex to use, we split up last month and she went to have some “space” and stopped at my mums, she took the car and I let her take it as she kept giving me the impression we’d sort things out. We can’t and I would like the car back, she’s refusing. I have a part bank payment for the car and proof…
financial order or agreement
Hi all, So i have recently divorced from my wife, she has remarried. We have two children both under 18 and for the most part the divorce has been amicable. We agreed that we would not sell the family home (which I inherited from my parents and has always been in my name and I have always paid the mortgage which was on it)…
How do I get happy again/back to self >>parents
Hi, I’m in hospital for third week and finding it so hard. I’ve got excited about discharge and then it hasn’t happened. I’ve been allowed of the ward to go down a floor to the cafe and shops that the hospital has and each time I really don’t want to come back. I live on my own so was/had been fiercely independent. I gave…
Capital Gains Tax - second property - Divorce
I'm supporting my parents with their divorce and the financial separation is likely to trigger Capital Gains Tax. I'd like to understand more about it. My first question is have I got the right forum or do I need to be somewhere else? Now onto some of the detail, there are two properties. House 1 - purchased in 2000 with a…
Which school would you pick?
A good almost outstanding primary 5 mins walk from our house. But all the secondary schools in our area are "rough", with below average performance, no sixth forms, limited subject options, minimal extra curricular. Or a 10 minute drive away, an all-through 4-18 school, good rated but excellent results, extra curricular,…
I have paid/am paying for my Ex's kitchen. Legal rights to it or money back?
I'm not sure if this the right thread but I can't find something more specific!! I left my Ex in January 2022 (my fault). In the previous year, we had decided together to replace the kitchen in the house that she owns, from wren kitchens. It would cost around £12k. I paid the deposit of around £5k using savings, overdraft…
Experiences of mediation services
This discussion was created from comments split from: financial order or agreement.
Holiday dispute with ex girlfriend.
Hi guys, my son and his girlfriend split up on New Year’s Day 2023 and had been planning to visit Cuba in August 2023 with her family. My son has so far paid over £790.00 to his girlfriends mother who is the lead person on the booking form. She has flatly refused to pay him back any of the money and as he is not the person…
Deputyship is insolvent
My.siblling had just been granted deputyship over my mother's affairs. However,.I have just discovered she is registered with The Insolvency Service on as being applied for voluntary insolvency dating back to 2020. Please advise me on the legality of this and how could someone be granted deputyship by the Court in…
Query - Shared Parental Pay with Maternity Allowance (self-employed mother)
Hello, I hope someone is able to confirm if my understanding here is correct! I've been self-employed for the past 6 years and am expecting my first child this summer. I meet the criteria to claim Maternity Allowance (£156.66 pw) for up to 39 weeks. My partner is employed. His work offers Enhanced Shared Parental Pay at…
Difficulties agreeing on early inheritance routes from father who wishes to downsize
Hi all, I was really not sure where to put this thread- mods feel free to move it if you think there's a better place for it? Firstly I appreciate this is a very first world problem. Here's the situation: My father is now 75 and lives on an extensive small holding which he owns outright which was once the family home, with…
What MoneySaving fibs do you tell your kids?
A colleague tells his children, "The ice cream van playing music means it has run out of ice cream." So far it's never been questioned. Do you tell any little white lies of your own?
Losing capacity checklist
Is there a checklist anywhere of things which should be double checked when someone has a prognosis that they may lose capacity in the foreseeable future? LPAs, wills ... etc
Unmarried co-habiting
Hello, first post here! I am 46. I have been in a 20 year relationship (ongoing). We have a joint mortgage. We have a joint bank account for bills. We have a child under 18. I work for NHS. I feel I need to be as legally safe as can be for future planning should one of us no longer be here but no idea where to start,…
Lending money to friends
I've been out of work for the last 4 months due to having a serious car accident and breaking my back. I still have my job as I am self employed, but other than a little financial help from family I have absolutely no income. Anyway, I have a friend that wanted to borrow some money from me (just shy of £300), and because I…