Angela Marshall: Who asked whom - and whose turn is it

There is no strict rule on who should pay for dinner. But a general rule would be if a chap asks you out for a meal, then they should expect to pay.

The same would be the case if you were a woman taking someone out on a business lunch. If you ask the question, you should pay the bill.

Often it will depend on how you meet the person if you are dating. They may be meeting online or through friends, making it difficult to decide who should pay in these situations.

Whether you want to pay or expect someone else to pay for you often depends on your personality. A pretty, feminine girl who feels she has a lot to offer in terms of attractiveness may expect her date to pay.

But some women will have a different attitude. If she is a very professional person and earning quite a lot she may not want the man to pay and would rather go halves.

If you are going out on more than one date, regardless of whether you are good-looking or not, you should not always expect the other person to pick up the bill.

You have to consider whether you are earning twice as much as the other person and whether you are comfortable with them always paying.

• Angela Marshall is an image and etiquette consultant at the consultancy Appearance Management