My husband thinks Lotto tickets are a waste of money, so I buy one each week without him knowing, using money my mother gives me. With the big prizes lately, I’ve been wondering if I would have to share my winnings with him if I won a huge amount.
As far as the law goes, if you win money when you are in an established relationship, you are obliged to share it with your partner. It doesn’t matter who provides the money to buy the ticket, who buys the ticket, or whether or not you tell one another. There have been some huge court cases around this, and the judiciary has generally come out strongly on the side of sharing. It’s no different to when one partner earns more than the other. Legally, it all belongs to the partnership, unless it is clearly stated otherwise in a prenuptial agreement.
The fact your mother provided the cash may be worth taking further. You could talk her into buying the ticket, as well as paying for it. Then, if she wins, she can buy things for you. But if she were to give you the prize in cash, you would be back where we started – you would be obliged to share it with your husband. The only way around this is to agree on some legal document that lottery winnings will remain with the person who buys the ticket. But in that case, your husband would find out. I’m no agony aunt, but don’t you have to ask yourself why you’re asking me this question?
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