My husband and I were opening a new joint bank account. We weren’t sure if accessing funds over the counter always required both signatures.

Our German then was non-existent and while we had a German friend with us, the bank officer, bless her, tried hard to help us directly with her stumbling English.

I asked her if there was an ‘either/or’ option to access the account, but drew a blank. I tried again. Could I access the funds if my husband was not with me to sign the withdrawal slip?

She scrutinised us before replying: “Here, we have emancipation”. ω