A joint account is all about trust. Since both parties are legally allowed to spend the money as they please, you have to come to a mutual understanding of what that means. Usually, that means using it for purchases that benefit you both, like housing, or vacations, or your child's education. That's why it's shared- those needs are 50/50, so they're split 50/50. When you have a personal need, you use your own money. It's pretty simple, really. But the line gets blurry when you start talking about family.
When you get married, your spouse's family technically becomes your family. And you might even feel that way too, happy to take them on as your own. But what about when one of them needs money? Are they still your responsibility, or does it fall to your partner? That's the situation one couple found themselves in when the husband's brother had a financial request. Read on for the story.