Joint Accounts
How Much Should I Chip in to Raise My Partner’s Child?
Figuring out how to split expenses when a kid is involved
Dear Joint Accounts,
I’ve recently moved in with my partner of 18 months, and we’re going through the process of figuring out which costs are shared. For the moment, we think the best solution is to both pay into a joint account for shared expenses, while maintaining our own separate accounts for individual spending. This is still a work in progress, but it seems to be working so far.
My question is about my partner’s 8-year-old son from a previous marriage: Should I be contributing to the cost of raising him? There are situations where I understand it might be fair, like paying for groceries while he’s staying with us, but what about things I’m not directly involved with, like clothing, entertainment, and education? I don’t want to create a sense of distance between myself and my partner’s son, and I don’t want my partner to feel like I resent his son. But there will likely be significant costs incurred down the line as he enters high school and university, and I want to make sure my partner and I reach an agreement before the issue becomes more significant.
Sincerely,
Conflicted Partner
