Shared Expense
Soccer registration · Dan paid
$180
split 50/50 · you owe $90
Shared Expense
School supplies · you paid
$60
split 50/50 · Dan owes you $30
How FairLedger works
Two ledgers.
One simple pattern.
A shared expense and a support obligation aren’t really different. Expenses and obligations build the balance, payments settle it, and adjustments correct it. Same three moves on both ledgers.
The moves
Every transaction is one of three kindsShared Expenses
Support
Builds a balance
Shared expenseThe kids’ expenses co-parents agree to split, usually 50/50.
Support obligationChild support or alimony, owed in full. Best set up with Recurring, so it auto-posts each month.
Settles a balance
Expense paymentOne parent reimburses the other.
Support paymentA payment toward what’s owed.
Corrects a balance
AdjustmentFixes an amount — keeps the record.
AdjustmentFixes an amount — keeps the record.
Watch it run
Beth’s ledgers · the balance updates after each entryShared Expenses
$0
Nothing owed yetSupport
$0
Nothing owed yet
Shared ExpensesMoney you split
$0Nothing owed yet
SupportMoney one parent owes
$0Nothing owed yet
Builds a balance
An expense or an obligation — something is now owed.
Shared Expenses
Support
Support Obligation
Child support · July
$1,200
owed to you in full
Support Obligation
Alimony · July
$300
owed to you in full
Settles a balance
A payment brings the balance to $0.
Shared Expenses
Expense Payment
You paid Dan
$60
settles the balance → $0
Support
Support Payment
Dan paid you
$1,500
settles the balance → $0
Corrects a balance
An adjustment fixes an amount — the original entry stays.
Shared Expenses
Adjustment
Soccer receipt was $150, not $180
$150
you owe $90 → $75
Correcting soccer to $150 lowers your share by $15 — since you’d already settled up, Dan owes you $15. The original $180 entry is kept.
Support
No correction needed here
Different purpose. Same pattern. Both ledgers do the same three things: build a balance, settle it with a payment, and correct it if an amount was wrong.