[cmyx6go]

It depends on the situation. If I am organizing and say I’m having a birthday party for me, or someone else, I’m footing the bill. Party is key word here. If it’s “Let’s go out for John’s birthday”, the bill should be split.

That being said, you need to know the crowd. I have no problem paying for what I order, or splitting equally. But I’m not an asshole. If I want a bottle of wine when I’m with a group who will be splitting the bill, I ask the waiter to put the wine on a separate check. You may have people that can’t afford to split equally because of what people order. It should be said upfront how the bill will be handled so no surprises and can decide whether or not to attend if they aren’t comfortable with arrangements.

If I know the bill will be split evenly, I won’t order the lobster dish I normally do at said restaurant. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same mindset.

EDIT - adding when I say split, the attendees should cover the meal of the person being celebrated.