joint liability
Also called: tanggungan bersama
A situation in which several people bear the same debt or obligation together.
What it means
Joint liability means several people bear the same obligation together, so that if one party does not pay, the others share the burden. The term appears in group loans, shared rentals, and family expense arrangements. In families, joint liability is usually agreed for the cost of caring for parents or for shared installments.
Why it matters for families
Joint liability makes one member's risk spread to the others. If one sibling stops paying, the burden can suddenly shift to the others and disrupt their household budgets. That is why the agreement needs to state what happens if someone fails to pay.
Example
Two siblings share the cost of caring for their parents at Rp4 million per month. When one sibling loses their job, they give early notice and the cost is temporarily shifted, then counted as a personal debt to be repaid gradually.
Common misunderstanding
Many think joint liability is only about bank debt. In fact, the same principle applies to family costs agreed together.