Many couples are separated for long periods due to work, studying, and other reasons. The accumulated expenses for travel and accommodation to and from their reunions also add up to a significant cost. When the couple decides to divorce, there is often a disagreement over whether this expense for visiting each other should be shared by both parties. There is no unified answer to determine the ownership of such expenses, which mainly depends on whether the expenditure is reasonable, the source of funds, and the actual situation behind the separation.

  The marital relationship does not automatically dissolve due to long-distance separation. As long as divorce procedures have not been completed, the couple still has the legal obligation to support each other and maintain the family. Income earned during the marriage generally belongs to the joint property of the couple, and both parties have an equal right to dispose of the joint property. Normal expenses for visiting each other for the purpose of reunion and maintaining the marriage, unlike purely personal consumption, inherently have the attribute of family joint expenditure.

  In judicial practice, reasonable expenses for visiting each other that meet the daily standards are usually considered as joint expenditures of the couple. Daily round-trip tickets, flights, and necessary expenses for food and accommodation during the journey, as long as they are in line with the local ordinary living standards and do not involve extravagance, are considered normal expenditures for maintaining the marital relationship and can be claimed to be shared by both parties during divorce.

  However, expenses under two situations need to be borne by the party making the expenditure. If the travel is solely chosen for high-end transportation and high-grade accommodation, the expenditure is obviously beyond the reasonable scope, and such expenditures with a luxurious consumption nature are considered personal expenditures. If it can be proven that all the expenses for visiting each other are paid for with the personal pre-marital savings, personal special allowances, and other private property of one party, and that the joint property of the couple has not been used, the other party has no right to claim compensation during the divorce.

  In addition, some units may provide reimbursement for travel expenses for employees, and this part of welfare expenditure covered by the unit naturally does not involve the issue of joint sharing by the couple.

  Long-distance separation itself tests the feelings between the couple, and handling visiting expenses requires both emotional and rational considerations. When related expenses are incurred in daily life, it is recommended to properly keep receipts, communication records, and other evidence. When dividing property during divorce, claim rights rationally in accordance with the law, and more mutual understanding can reduce unnecessary disputes.