– I have experienced women coming into the bank wondering if they can afford to leave their husbands, says Stina Månestråle Hopsdal. She is bank manager for the private market at DNB Stavanger. It is not always that two people who lived together can afford to buy a home separately. – I remember a case where we could not provide financing due to reduced income. Then she chose to stay in that relationship, says Hopsdal. When interest rates rose and the price of electricity and food went up, the bank noticed that fewer people were choosing to separate. The bank experienced a breaking peak in October last year. – It probably has something to do with the economy. From experience, we see that people stick a little closer to their partner when it becomes more expensive to be alone, says Hopsdal. Finances are a theme at the family welfare office The breach the bank experienced in October is perhaps not so surprising. Figures from Statistics Norway show that October was the month in which most couples filed for separation from 2011 to 2021. The Family Welfare Office feels that the economy can play a role when couples want to separate. – Some stay in a relationship because they don’t have the finances to go. I have had clients who have checked with the bank, and say that they do not have the finances to be alone. If the relationship is good enough, finances may be a factor that keeps it going, but if it is a big burden, more people will go despite the finances, says Stine Elisabeth Skogvold, psychologist at the Bodø family welfare office. At the Family Protection Office for Haugalandet, general manager Randi Orhammer says that there is no clear answer. – Over time, we have learned that finances have been one of the relevant topics for the couples we meet. When they fight for the relationship, but also when it comes to an end and we meet them in mediation. Tight finances can both bring us closer and make the distance bigger and more difficult, she says. The wage gap increased somewhat Economist Lene Drange advises couples to talk about finances early in the relationship. – Maybe not on the first date, but if you are going to buy something together or one of you is going to buy into the other’s apartment, it is very important to sit down and do it, she says. SECURE YOURSELF EARLY: Economy Lene Drange’s most important advice is to write a cohabitation contract. Photo: Private Women earn less on average than men. 14.1 per cent worse, according to Statistics Norway’s figures from 2022, which were recently published. In 2018, the pay gap was 14.3 per cent and went down to 13.9 per cent in 2019, up again to 14.2 in 2020 and down to 13.8 in 2021. The figures are the average of full-time and part-time positions. But if you only look at full-time positions, full-time working men earned 11.9 percent more than full-time working women in 2022. Economic equality But is economic equality that both contribute the same amount of money? – There are different ways of doing it. But if both contribute equally, and one is left with NOK 15,000 and the other with NOK 2,000, it will also be skewed, says Drange. One possibility is that the person with the highest income pays the biggest bills, she advises. Or that one calculates the percentage based on net salary. If you earn NOK 60,000 in total and one earns NOK 40,000 of this, it may be a solution to calculate their percentage of total salary and distribute the expenses in the same percentage as the salary. – Should one simply prepare the economy for a breach? – Yes, at the start of a relationship it is very important that you sit down and sign a contract, says Drange. What should be included in the cohabitation contract? Photo: Marthe Synnøve Johannessen / news There are several cohabitation contract templates that can be downloaded and filled in online. These points are important to include in the contract: The property Who owns the property or what share do you have if the other is to buy in? Or will the other party pay rent? Joint costs How do you divide the bills? If both parties earn differently, you can agree on how to distribute expenses and write it in the contract. Joint loan If you take out a joint loan, include in the cohabitation contract how large a share of the loan you are each responsible for. Who gets the home in the event of a breach? Agree in advance and write in the contract who will live in shared accommodation in the event of a breach. Source: Huseierne.no And if one party works reduced for a period, for example when the children are small, it is important to make good financial assessments. – You often work at a reduced rate in order to get the everyday logistics up. Then you as a couple should set aside extra pension savings for the person who is at home. If you separate when the children are older, it will also be unfair in the future if you don’t save extra for a pension, she says. Couples argue about finances Couple finances are not an unusual topic in Frode Thuen’s office. He is a psychologist and couples therapist. – Most couples find that finances can be a challenge in some situations. It varies a lot, but for some it is certainly a big problem, he says. KNOWN ISSUES: For psychologist and couples therapist Frode Thuen, finances are an issue that often comes up in therapy. Photo: Sindre Helgheim / news It often takes up the most space in relationships with poor finances. – The economy is, in a way, a backdrop for the whole of family life and existence. And if you then have different opinions and ways of relating to the economy, it will be an eternally recurring theme of contention, he says. He also sees that it is most often young couples who argue about finances. – They tend to have a slightly lower income and more expenses with children and establishment. They may also not have fully figured out how to deal with the financial challenges that virtually all couples have to take into account, says Thuen. The psychologist’s financial tips: Frode Thuen has two important tips for conflict-free couple finances: Talk constructively together about finances. Sit down and review what is due this month. Without arguing. Get a good overview of the economy. Regardless of whether it is good or bad. If you have a good overview of what expenses and income will come, it is easier to find good solutions. Unpredictability and expenses that suddenly appear can create conflicts to a much greater extent if you do not have an overview.
ttn-69
The bank finds that women call to check whether they can afford a divorce – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
